Asset Series 7: Little Miss Muffet
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to Through The Looking Glass. Things between Chloe and Dean are steadily progressing. But when they, along with Sam, are kidnapped on their way to see John, and are reunited with unexpected friends and allies, they realize that an enemy from the past is back. They just don't know it's much more than just revenge, and that their enemy has some surprising backers. CHLEAN
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

Sequel to: Through The Looking Glass

**M - for Sexual Situations**

* * *

They were a couple of hours from reaching the little town John was holed up in on his newest hunting job. They'd been driving long and hard, all four crammed in the Impala, the men all sharing the driving and not letting Chloe behind the wheel. Considering she'd already disappeared from a moving vehicle she didn't take insult to this, realizing it was the safer thing. Not that she thought that someone would be able to take her again. Not with the way Dean clung to her like some sort of overprotective...overprotecting...thing.

Ever since their, uh, 'conversation' (yes, that is what she was going to call it and NOT 'makeout session') Chloe had found her relationship with Dean changed once more, and while she was quite enjoying the change, it was something she had to get used to. She couldn't believe that this was the same guy who'd avoided even looking in her direction after that innocent kiss. He seemed like a totally different guy.

Just like now, as they drove down yet another highway. Sam drove and Bobby sat next to him, the two of them talking about some old hunt John had had and dumped Sam and Dean on Bobby when they'd been really young. Dean sat in the backseat, surprisingly docile and not reprimanding Sam on his driving, just calm and quiet as he stared out at the lights on the dark road. He'd comment now and again regarding whatever Sam and Bobby were saying, but for the most he was silent, his hand resting against Chloe's shoulder as she lay with her head on his lip, half asleep. His thumb caressed her cheek softly, sometimes journeying down the curve of her jaw before returning to her cheek.

The blonde was tired, so very tired, her body aching from all it'd gone through. Not only had she been on the road for days before being taken to the alternate universe, but in said alternate universe she'd been trained every single day, and now that she was back they'd continued on the road daily. Her body was sore and her mind tired, and while her body begged for sleep she couldn't get comfortable enough to actually fall into slumber.

Sam's and Bobby's conversation mixed with the hum of the radio playing softly, and while it was soothing, it wasn't enough to send her to sleep.

Sighing, Chloe turned onto her back, staring up at Dean's face, taking advantage to observe him as he stared out of the window.

She still couldn't believe that he cared for her in that way. It made no sense to her really. Especially not when he'd met Lois and had a comparison. Lois was strong and gorgeous and, well, she was everything Chloe wasn't. So it was hard for the girl to understand why in the world he'd want _her_. Especially when he'd first wanted Lois.

Was the blonde second best?

The consolation prize?

Was Dean just so used to not having a family that he'd clung to her when she'd offered him one in her own way?

And yet, when Dean turned his gaze down at her and smiled softly, she couldn't see any of that in his eyes, and it made her gulp.

Dean's hand cupped her cheek and he bent down, looming over her as his lips met hers in a slow, deep kiss that completely woke her up. The position must have been uncomfortable for him given how low he had to bend to kiss her, but he didn't complain, instead wrapping his arms around her body and easily raising her enough for it to be more comfortable for him.

Up ahead, Sam and Bobby continued talking, unaware of what was going on in the backseat.

Dean's mouth smothered Chloe's whimper as one of his arms loosened its grip around her and slowly began lowering its way down her body. He'd been cautious with her during the few last, uh, _encounters_ they'd had since that night, but with the realization that she wasn't reacting negatively to any of his advances the hunter was getting bolder. And hungrier. His kiss grew intenser, his hand trailing hard over the curve of her hip before hesitating yet again.

Chloe complained into his mouth, pulling him closer and wiggling her hips.

She could feel his smile against her lips as his hand moved, cupping her ass and giving it a firm squeeze that sent jolts of excitement and pleasure down her body.

"I'm just saying that if the kitsune is killing murderers and such, then why do we hunt it?" Sam declared passionately from in front. "And the other monsters we hunt, if they're only targeting low-lives-."

"They're still human!" Bobby countered. "We're on the _human's_ side!"

"Even when those humans are _evil_?" Sam wanted to know.

The argument between the two escalated louder...

...Which was great, because Dean's molding hand began to journey from her ass back around her thigh to trail slowly against the flesh of her stomach, each motion sending his hand lower and lower.

Goosebumps and electricity raced through her body, and when Dean tore his lips from his to be able to stare at her face as his hand made its slow yet sure procession Chloe had to bite her bottom lip to keep from whimpering out loud. Her chest rose and fell erratically with her labored breaths, her eyes unable to leave his face, just as his seemed unable to leave hers. Dean was devouring her every reaction to his hand, his fingers, as they continued lowering over the material of her shorts. The thin material let her feel the heat of his hand, and it just incinerated her from within.

Dean's hand hesitated at a crucial place, his light hazels consuming her, making her feel embarrassed yet even more aroused, the blonde nearly drawing blood at how hard her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip to keep her whimper silent as she rubbed her thighs together before parting her thighs.

Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, Dean's intense gaze bore into her as his hand finally moved to cover her over the seat of her shorts, the sensation shocking her core.

"Are you saying that we should start researching the victims to make sure _they _aren't the bad guys in the equation?" Bobby harrumphed.

Sam groaned. "I am _not_-."

Chloe nearly cried out as Dean positioned his hand in such a way that his thumb brushed up against something that made her want to scream, and his fingers teased her slit, his index not only tested the material of her shorts and panties but pushed inwards.

The blonde's hips bucked instinctively into the touch, her mind going blurry, unable to concentrate on anything but the sensation.

Dean's hand suddenly came down on her mouth, his expression a little shocked yet pleased.

Obviously she'd made a sound without realizing.

Thankfully Sam and Bobby were still deep into their argument in front and didn't seem to realize what was going on at all.

Dean's hand stopped its wonderfully torturous treatment to slide down the side of the shorts and slip inside, his warm skin making contact with the wet center of her underwear.

The blonde was horribly embarrassed.

Dean's body went stiff when he found the material wet, his eyes closing and his teeth biting down on his bottom lip as his fingers explored the large wet patch, which grew wetter with each touch.

Next to her cheek, Chloe could feel him growing hard as stone.

And then Dean's fingers traveled down the edge of her underwear before slipping under the elastic and finding the source of the wetness.

Chloe's hands reached up and press down harder on the one over her lips to try and muffle her cry.

"I'm just saying, if they made the Crossroads Deal, they knew what they were getting into!" Sam snapped at Bobby. "They're not the innocent victim of demons! They got exactly what they wanted for the price they agreed to!"

"Demons come to us at our weakest moments-." Bobby began.

Dean's index slipped between her folds, and a little groan escaped his lips as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back.

Chloe's back arched off the seat and she nearly screamed into his hand as his finger began moving deep inside her while his thumb worked over that part of her that gave numbing pleasure. Her teeth clamped onto the flesh of his palm, her body shaking with shocking sensations as these unfamiliar feelings took over.

Dean seemed just as affected, his index finger deep inside of her, moving in and out slowly, torturously, before another finger slowly joined.

There was a little bit of pain when he did that, adding to the slight discomfort when he'd push his index finger deep within. She knew that it was due to the barrier deep inside of her, the barrier that kept her from truly being a woman. It was a barrier she wanted done with, no matter how much it would hurt.

"What do you think, Dean?" Sam wanted to know.

Chloe went still.

So did Dean, opening his eyes and snapping his head straight as he stared at them. "What?"

"You okay boy?" Bobby asked curiously.

"Uh, _yeah." _Dean cleared his throat. "Just was falling asleep."

"It _is_ a little late." Sam sighed. "I saw a sign for a motel a couple of miles back. We should be coming up on it soon. We should stop for the night and sleep. We'll be rested when we meet dad that way."

"Great!" Dean announced before clearing his throat. "I mean, yeah. We should definitely get a bed-_I mean __**rest**_."

"Yeah, we could all do with a good rest." Bobby yawned.

The conversation died down after that, and Chloe bit back her near painful disappointment. She knew that there was _no way_ that Dean and her would be returning to that numbingly pleasurable moment from before, and damn it, she was pissed. It'd taken her and Dean _so long_ to get to where they were right now, and Chloe had a fear in the back of her head that if she didn't cement their relationship somehow…

…In all truth it was just her being an insecure chick, and she knew it, which annoyed her greatly.

She couldn't figure out why Dean would pick her, she couldn't understand _why_ she would mean so much to him. It was obvious why she'd grown so attached to him. He was her savior in so many ways. She might have hero-worshipped him a bit at the beginning of their relationship but during their time together and all the trials and tribulations they'd managed to escape through as a team, she'd grown to trust him unlike anyone else. He'd become someone so important to her he ranked about the same as Lois, and that was saying something because she _adored_ Lois.

The thought of her cousin sobered Chloe as Dean and her returned to an innocent sort of touching, the blonde staring at the roof of the car as she wondered about Lois and where she was right now. Was she happy? Was she with Adam? Was this Adam Knight bad too? And if so, was he hurting Lois?

Chloe turned so that she was on her side, guilt eating her.

What if her cousin was going through hell right now?

What if-?

What if she was dead?

Chloe closed her eyes.

Just because Lois had killed Adam Knight in one reality did not mean that he would be evil in this one too.

There was no way that she could think of the guy who'd taken care of them all that time as a bad guy.

No.

He'd genuinely cared for Lois.

He _had_ to be good in this reality.

And Lois, Lois might have fallen in love with him.

She could be ecstatically happy right now.

These thoughts dominated Chloe's mind until they reached the motel. She leaned against the hood of the Impala, mentally and physically tired, yawning as the guys moved their things into the rooms they'd rented for the night. It took her a minute to realize something that _should've_ registered sooner given the fact that Bobby and Sam were both shaking their heads and eyeing Dean with darkly amused expressions on their faces.

There were only two rooms, and Dean was taking both her and his things into one of them.

The blonde gulped, standing straighter as she realized this.

Despite everything, Dean had been giving her her own space, her own _room_, and the fact that he was moving them into a room together…

Oh dear god.

This was it!

It was going to happen!

Tonight!

In that room!

Chloe began to hyperventilate slightly, nervous as hell, although excitement coursed through her veins at the memory of earlier and the pleasure it'd invoked. She hadn't felt any fear, any hesitance. There hadn't been any ghost pains, any panic attacks, and the scars on her chest hadn't throbbed in pain. Everything had been perfectly on fire and she'd loved the sensation. Ached for his fingers when they'd slipped out of her.

Gulping, Chloe licked her suddenly dry lips.

Bobby shook his head and headed to the room he was sharing with Sam, while Sam sent Chloe a little smile while motioning Dean out for a quick word.

The blonde hurried into the room and paused.

There were two queens.

As in two beds.

As in not one.

As in…

…Chloe cleared her throat, confused.

Why were there two beds?

Heading towards her bags, Chloe grabbed a change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom, refusing to just be standing there like some confused idiot whenever Dean arrived from his little conversation with Sam. She slipped out of her clothes as she turned on the shower, waiting for the water to be steaming hot before slipping in under it, giving a little whimper of happiness as she began scrubbing the grime of the day off of her skin. As the water cascaded down her body, and she soaped up, the girl refused to think about the two beds or the car or Dean's fingers or-okay-she tried not to think about it, but was unsuccessful. There seemed to be something missing, some part of her that was empty and void, hungry.

All in all the shower was shorter than planned, the blonde drying off and pulling on an old Metallica shirt she'd seen at one of the second hand stores she'd picked up a few pieces at once she'd started being on the run. Her hair was wet and stuck to her face awkwardly, and in the faded shirt she knew she looked anything but sexy, and that deflated the girl somewhat as she finally emerged from the bathroom.

Dean looked up from where he'd been sitting on his bed, clearing his throat. "Hey."

"Hey." She hesitated in the doorway before pushing forwards, trying for casual and not awkward or confused.

"So, uh, we're going to be, uh, sharing this room tonight." He pointed out the most obvious thing in the world.

"I realized that." She responded.

"Of course you did." Dean nodded, speaking mostly to himself as he stood. "It's a nice night, right?" And then he flinched, running a hand over his hair. "Goddamn Sam and his goddamn speeches!"

Chloe tilted her head to the side as she narrowed her eyes at him. "What did Sam tell you out there?"

Dean groaned. "He had the sex talk with me." His hand slipped from the top of his head to his face, covering his embarrassment as he groaned. "And then gave me _condoms_."

Chloe brought her hand to her mouth, face scarlet.

Hand still covering his face, Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a long string of condoms.

Chloe gulped.

"He gave me this _huge_ speech about you and about me, and how I had to reign myself back and remember that you're still a virgin with a bad history when it came to men and sexuality." Dean threw the condoms behind him on the bed, a little groan escaping his lips. "And he's right, of course, but still I'm not comfortable with the fact that he's obviously given a very long thought to you in sexual situations. He has Jess for crissakes! He-."

The blonde _might_ have zoned out a little at that part as Dean sat down once more, continuing to vent, unable to look at her.

He was obviously somewhat embarrassed by Sammy's actions, but it was also obvious, even to her, that he was a little jealous.

It made her smile softly despite the mortifying circumstance.

"He has his own girl, so he should leave _mine_ alone and let whatever I do with _my_ girl stay between me and her!" Dean grumbled, hands moving around as he continued to vent. "Who does he think he is? My dad? YOUR dad? He-!"

Chloe's feet padded softly against the carpet, making her approach inaudible as stopped before Dean, reaching out to catch his chin, tilting it and his gaze up to her.

Dean stopped venting, his light hazels going to her face immediately as his hands instinctively journeyed to her hips. His hands moved in slow circular movements, almost seeming to search for something, confusion in his eyes before his fingers slipped under her shirt and journeyed up her thighs to the curve of her hips once more…his hazels widening to find no underwear.

A little gasp escaped Chloe's lips as with a jerk of those hands she was falling into him, straddling his hips, his mouth finding hers, all mortification gone.

Desire boiled deep in her stomach once more, her arms curling around his neck as his steeled around her waist, keeping her pinned to his body as he hardened against her and his mouth plundered.

She gave a little buck against the material of his jeans, swallowing the sound he made, a mixture of growl and cry, lifting herself higher on her knees and kissing him hungrier, tilting them both back until with a combined cry he'd fallen onto his back and taken her with him.

Dean rolled them over, his body weighing down on hers, his elbows on either side of her face as he just laid there, staring down into her face in near reverence.

Chloe gulped, staring up into his light hazels, wanting him to continue and yet not wanting for him to ever stop looking at her like that.

His eyes never leaving hers, Dean suddenly pulled off of her, but before she could complain or worry that she'd done something wrong he was pulling off his shirt…and then all she could do was _gulp_. He was, he was, _wow_. There were no words to describe what was going on in her mind as he let his shirt fall to the floor before toeing his shoes off and beginning to work on the buttons of his pants.

A little part of her was in hysterics, scared, but a bigger part of her had the blonde parting her thighs further, desire burning high.

Dean cursed, nearly tearing off the button of his pants in his haste, finally getting it undone and shoving everything (pants and underwear) down near frantically.

And that was when Chloe got a good view of _Mr Winchester_.

She throbbed at her core, whimpering as her gaze rose to Dean. A part of her mind couldn't believe this was actually happening, that she was losing her virginity to _Dean Winchester_ of all people. It left her breathless and heady.

Dean kicked off his pants and knelt between her thighs with his hands on them, kneading, caressing, as he slowly began to kiss his way up the sticky inner path.

The skin of her inner thighs was terribly sensitive, each kiss, nibble and lick sending jolts to her core, embarrassment filling the girl as her fists clenched in the bedsheets around her. Warmth and moistness spread at her center, the blonde beginning to tremble as Dean's tongue tortured her inner thigh on its journey upward, his throat making some infernally pleased sound as he drew closer.

Her breath escaped shakily as his breath…and then his lips…reached…oh god!

Head flung backwards, Chloe cried out loudly, not even notching when the television was turned on in Sam and Bobby's room and the volume raised up _high_.

Dean didn't seem to realize either, hooking her legs over his shoulders as his hands tightened on her hips, keeping her still and trapped as his mouth continued to devour her, making noising that would seem embarrassing it was wasn't for the fact that she couldn't even hear them over the sound of her racing heart and rising whimpers.

Lightning clashed loudly outside before another struck the roof of their room, frying everything inside and cloaking them in darkness. Blue and red lights exploded outside their window, giving flashes of light as people screamed.

Cursing, Dean stumbled away from her and began pulling on his pants once more. "Stay inside!"

Something exploded somewhere, shaking the whole building.

Chloe ignored Dean, racing to her bag and pulling on a skirt and slipping on a bra, keeping the unattractive t-shirt on, which was almost longer than the skirt she wore. The blonde shoved her feet into her boots and then slid the Archangel blade inside its hiding place as she pulled out a jacket as Dean grabbed his guns and made it towards the door.

The second he kicked open the door a blast of purple threw them both against the wall…

And then everything went black.

* * *

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

* * *

Bringing her hand to her forehead, Chloe groaned as she sat up. Her eyes were heavy, and her head throbbed viciously. The blonde blinked a couple of times, her vision too foggy to really see where she was, and she spent the time trying to remember what had happened. That was when she remembered the explosions. She definitely wasn't in the motel anymore, and while a part of her was worried she'd been dragged into another alternate reality she knew that it would make no sense if she had. She'd already learnt all that she could learn from the last one, so this had to be something else.

"It was about time." A unexpected, familiar voice scoffed.

Chloe blinked harder and harder, a figure emerging from the shadows in the room to kneel in front of her. Finally her vision cleared and she could see his face. "_Wade_?"

"Hey stranger," he sighed. "Did _not_ want to see you again under these circumstances."

"Circumstances?" Chloe pressed her hand harder to her head.

"Things are gonna be fuzzy for a couple of hours," Wade warned. "It was that way for all of us."

"All of us?" Chloe felt like a parrot echoing his words, but nothing made sense!

"Brady and Jess are here too." Wade made a face.

Chloe followed Wade's gaze and hers widened when she saw Sam and Dean unconscious on the floor. "How did we get here?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Wade mumbled. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep after a _sweet_ deal going _great_. And then I woke up to this pit next to Jess and Brady...who don't remember getting here either. Both of them remember going to sleep, but this is no damned dream, if you get hurt here you don't wake up-you're just _hurt_."

"Who got hurt?" Chloe placed her hand on his arm.

"It's nothing," Wade muttered before lifting up his shirt to reveal a large scratch running down his abs.

"What _happened_?" Chloe gasped, fingertips trailing the skin next to the slash. Scars from his run-in with Goodnight were still there, etched into him, yet thankfully they'd healed by now.

"Let's just say you should be glad _I_ am the one who found you instead of the other things that are here," Wade replied vaguely, letting out a little breath. "But I have to say, I'm feeling a little better now." His hand rested against hers, pressing her hand harder into his skin. "Your number hasn't been working, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

"I had to get rid of my last phone." She stared up into his face. "Had a run in with Viktor and that didn't go well. I had to go on the road for a little."

Wade's eyes narrowed. "That psycho's after you?"

"Not anymore," she replied with a little shrug. "Things only cleared a couple of days ago, and I was going to call you and explain once we got to where we were going-."

He smiled crookedly at her. "Not that I was _waiting_ to hear on you or anything."

Chloe smiled up at him as well.

"The _fuck_?"

Chloe's head turned towards where the others had been unconscious, finding Sam shaking his head and Dean narrowing his eyes on them, Wade especially.

"_Wade_?" Sam groaned, confused. "What's going on?"

"And what the _hell_ are _you_ doing here?" Dean snapped, standing, hand to his head, which obviously hurt him as well.

Wade ignored him, eyes on Sam. "Your hot-ass girlfriend, and friend are here too by the way."

"_What_?" Sam's eyes widened. "Where are they?"

"The safe room," Wade replied. "They're probably wondering where I am. I was only supposed to scout this area after the lights, but I've been waiting for you three to decide to wake up awhile now. I am _not_ dragging your asses around, and am _not_ risking those things catching me."

"What _things_?" Dean frowned. "Where _are_ we?"

"Don't know for certain," Wade stood, pulling Chloe with him, keeping her hand in his. "But this sure as hell isn't the place to talk about it. Come with me. The others will want in on this too."

Sam stood.

"Just hold on a damned moment!" Dean snapped when Wade began leading Chloe towards the door. "We're not going any damned place with you! For all we know you're behind all of this and it's a trap!"

"You don't have to come. I really don't give a shit." Wade snorted, eyes narrowed on Dean before turning on Chloe. "When are you going to lose the underwear model?"

"_Wade_." Chloe frowned at him.

"_Fine_." Wade rolled his eyes, displeased, before turning to Dean. "Stay here if you like, but Sam's gonna come with me because his girlfriend and best friend are here, and Chloe's going to come with me because she trusts me." His gaze returned to her. "Right?"

She felt like she was between a rock and a hard place, but she _did_ trust Wade, he'd sacrificed his safety for her in the past and she would never forget that. "With my life."

Dean's face darkened and his clenched fists clenched tighter.

Wade's lips twitched at her before motioning to the door. "Come on."

Chloe's gaze turned to Dean, confused as to his open hostility. "_Dean_." She knew that he'd never really trusted Wade, and that he'd never exactly _liked_ him when he'd met him some months ago, but it'd never been this obvious before.

He turned his angry hazels on her. "No."

"It's _Wade_." She slipped her hand from Wade's and turned towards Dean, not getting why he was being so damned difficult.

"_Exactly,_" Dean snarled.

"You have a problem with me, bro?" Wade took a menacing step towards Dean.

"Yeah, I do, "bro"." Dean sneered, taking a menacing step towards Wade. "What you going to do about it?"

"Jesus, Dean!" Sam snapped. "Stop being such a damned alpha male and just back down already! Jess is somewhere here and I will _not_ let the two of you posturing keep me from her!"

"Sam's right." Chloe frowned. "Jess and Brady are somewhere here and obviously there's someone who's not only brought us here but has _other_ things here. We need to regroup somewhere safe, _not_ argue for no reason in someplace that's most probably horribly unsafe!"

"He could be leading us into a trap!" Dean snapped at her.

"He wouldn't!" Chloe threw her hands in the air.

"Why? Cuz he's a good person?" Dean sneered.

"Yes!" She nearly screamed.

"Guys, you should probably keep your voices down." Sam tried.

"And I'm not a good guy," Wade interjected. "How many times do I have to say that?"

"NOT helping your cause." Chloe glared at him.

"I'm just saying..." Wade shrugged. "I have a rep I have to keep up you know. Street cred."

She tried to keep her lips from twitching in amusement, but couldn't help herself, smiling up at him as she shook her head. "You're such an idiot, you know that?"

He grinned as winked. "You know it's what you like most about me."

Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "You're incorrigible."

Dean's fist slammed sideways into the wall next to him, the sound sharp and echoing.

The blonde's green gaze turned to him, wide as she fully took in his visage. His eyes were narrowed and dark, his muscles tensed, slightly trembling, almost as if he was barely keeping himself still. "_Dean_?"

"_Fine,_" he growled, striding towards them, his every step purposeful as he stood next to them. Hazels narrowed on Wade as he slipped his arm around Chloe's shoulders.

Wade's eyebrow raised. "I see." He sneered. "Challenge accepted."

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two guys on her each side before pulling away from _both_ of them and instead walking over to Sam and placing her hand in his. "Until you two can act like _adults_ and not like two kids fighting over a _toy_, I'm sticking with Sam."

"Don't blame you," Sam muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "Okay Wade, take us to where the others are."

Wade looked between them curiously before nodding. "This way, and stay low and quiet. I just got slashed, don't wanna see what happens when you get bitten."

* * *

Dean knew that he was acting like a territorial douchebag, but couldn't help it. He'd never liked Wade, _never_, and he liked him even less now. To be truthful he resented and quite probably detested the guy, and yeah, he was jealous and insecure as hell. But he figured that he had every right to see this delinquent as Public Enemy Number One given all he knew.

Chloe had married the guy in the alternate universe. She'd never actually come out and said it, but Dean'd read between the lines and figured things out.

Wade. She'd married _Wade_. She'd said she'd loved the other world's him-so why shouldn't she now see her world's Wade and _not_ wonder if maybe she was just wasting her time with someone as screwed up as Dean? Someone who had nothing to offer her.

She still wore her wedding ring and his on a chain around her neck at all times for crying out loud! Obviously she had yet to give up a hundred per cent on the life and love she'd had in that other place. Every time he saw a glimpse of flashing gold Dean could feel his heckles rising much like a cat.

As they followed Wade, Dean had to admit that while he'd never really liked how close Sam and Chloe were (given their history) he preferred her clinging to Sam's hand than to Wade's. Sam was in love with Jess, that much was obvious, he wouldn't do anything to put that relationship in jeopardy. Plus, Dean liked to think that Sam wouldn't ever try anything with Chloe anyway because she was his big brother's girl.

They moved silently through what seemed like an abandoned town, everything run down and in disuse for years. They bobbed through alleyways and old shops, Wade always pausing at any little sound, and yet they didn't encounter anything as they reached the warehouse, Wade knocking on the door in a patterned way, pausing before continuing. Finally, on the last knock, the door slid open to reveal Brady, whose eyes widened in shock as he slid the door completely open. "_Sam_? Chloe?"

"_Sam_?" Jess could be heard crying from inside.

Sam let go of Chloe and raced inside to embrace his girlfriend and hold her close.

Chloe, Dean and Wade slipped into the warehouse, Brady closing the door and wrapping an iron chain around the locks.

"It got you guys too?" Brady asked in confusion, looking at them with a frown. "What the hell is going on?"

"That's what _I_ would like to know," Dean declared, seeing the salt line around the inside of the warehouse. "Are we dealing with a ghost?"

Brady and Wade shared a look.

"What is it?" Chloe frowned as she stepped closer.

"Chloe, we didn't want to tell you because we didn't want to scare you-not without proof..." Brady started with a sigh.

Chloe's eyes narrowed on him. "What are you talking about?"

Sam stood, pulling Jess with him. "You're not saying-?"

Brady nodded. "Yeah Sam, that's what I'm saying."

"_Sammy_?" Chloe turned to Sam, sounding like a lost child. "What are they talking about?"

He lowered his gaze. "We didn't want to scare you, Chloe. Especially when we couldn't be sure."

"What did you think would scare her?" Dean frowned, turning on his brother.

Jessica was the one who spoke. "It's Spencer. He's still alive-or-as alive as he can be I guess."

Chloe's eyes widened, her skin going horribly pale. "He died."

"Tommy died." Sam shook his head. "Spencer somehow survived inside of him and, I'm assuming, jumped into one of the rescue workers."

Chloe looked around her, almost disoriented, eyes shining with unshed tears as her gaze rested on Wade. "Did you know?"

"Don't look at me." He raised his hands. "I only found this out _after_ I woke up here."

She turned her eyes on Dean, obviously asking the same question.

Dean shook his head.

Chloe then turned her greens on the other three. "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me, that you didn't warn me!"

"We were trying to protect you," Jess whispered.

"By leaving me with a false sense of security?" Chloe snapped at her, causing the older girl to draw back into her boyfriend. "How could you do something like that? I trusted you! Obviously, I was wrong to."

"_Chloe_." Sam started, warningly.

"No!" She snapped, furious, interrupting the large giant quite viciously. "You don't get to tell me anything! You don't know what he did to me! _SHE_ does! _SHE_ knew better than to not tell me!"

Sam frowned slightly, confused, turning a little look at his girlfriend. "What's she talking about?"

"_Chloe_." Jess pulled away from Sam, eyeing the girl imploringly. "I'm _sorry._"

"Whatever." The younger blonde shook her head. "Fighting between us isn't going to do anything else but make him stronger."

Dean watched her, pride bubbling in the pit of his stomach at how strong this girl was. Had it been two months ago she would've been crying and nervous and clutching to him, a nervous wreck filled with ghost pains and nervous attacks. But the girl in front of him wasn't reaching out to anyone else for strength, instead she found it within herself for the first time since he'd known her. And damn it if it wasn't that other universe that'd done this.

He shifted uncomfortably at the thought that time with _Wade_ had made Chloe a stronger person.

"It's just not him though." Brady's words drew the newcomers' gaze on him. "He has friends."

"Friends as in-?" Sam's eyes narrowed.

"Please don't say the Nightstalker or someone like that," Dean groaned.

"No one famous," Brady began.

"But hella ugly, angry, and definitely not human," Wade finished. "We've managed to keep them out with the salt we stole from the kitchen, but we need water, food, things we don't have here. And every time we venture out we're in danger."

"We've tried escaping wherever this is, but it's abandoned, isolated, and we never get to the town's edge before we're driven back and have to run back here." Jess whispered, hugging herself, eyes haunted. "We've been here for three days, and it always seemed like he was just keeping us here, waiting for something."

"Or someone." Wade eyed Sam and Chloe. "I'm thinking he was waiting for the whole _set _before really starting his game." He clenched his fists. "It's what I would do if a group had pissed me off and nearly killed me."

"He's right." Brady declared, on edge. "Other than Dean, we're all the survivors of the massacre."

"Why exactly is Pretty Boy here anyway?" Wade wanted to know, leaning against the wall. "I mean, why bring him? He's not one of us."

A muscle jumped in Dean's cheek.

"Brady?" Chloe turned to the blonde. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Brady's eyebrow raised but he nodded, motioning to the far corner.

Dean watched them go, eyes narrowed, wondering exactly what Chloe felt she needed to talk to Brady about that she didn't want them, _him_, to hear.

* * *

"What's up Chlo?" Brady asked once they'd gone to the opposite corner of the warehouse, hands in his jacket's pockets, quite confused.

Chloe looked up at the guy that she'd known since highschool, not intimately but in a place as small as Smallville you kinda knew people because you knew their story. She stared at him, wondering why she hadn't questioned the name change and attitude more. Then again she'd never really been close to Whitney Fordman and had wanted to get to know Tyson Brady if he'd let her.

The blonde licked her lips, turning so that her back was to the others, her voice soft as she stared up into his handsome face. "I don't want any bullshit from you."

His eyes widened slightly. "Okay?"

"Are you working along with him?" She asked, studying his every feature. "Did you help Spencer bring us here? Are you in on this?"

His eyes widened in shock and horror. "How could you think that?"

"Because you're a demon, and while we've been friends all this while I don't know how to trust a demon," she replied and watched the way his face paled. "I have an Archangel blade and I'm pretty sure if I run you through with it, you'll die."

Brady gulped. "How-?"

So he wasn't going to deny it. Good. It made whatever next came out of his lips more credible. That said, she was _not_ prepared for what _did_ come out of his lips.

"So you know about Jess too?"

Chloe's eyes widened. "_She's _a demon _too_?"

"_No_." He shook his head, staring down at her. "So you didn't know about her."

"What about her?" Chloe pressed.

Brady looked away. "It's not my story to tell."

She took a menacing step towards the much larger, stronger male. "Talk."

He cleared his throat, looking at his feet. "Ever heard of the Gwargedd Annwn?"

Chloe thought for a moment, knowing the name sounded familiar, before her eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

He shrugged.

"But she's-."

"Not spending her free time at the bottom of lakes?" Brady prompted.

"Well... yeah."

"She's half. Her mother is full."

"How did you-?"

"We clocked onto each other when we met through Sam, told the other we'd what we knew secret if the other did. And if we didn't hurt Sam. That was the deal." Brady shrugged.

"Why would you care if Sam was hurt?" Chloe narrowed her eyes. "You're a demon." She reached out and placed her hand on his chest. "And what about Whitney?"

Brady gazed down at her hand. "My orders have always been to protect Sam Winchester. He's important to Azazel. He wants him alive."

This probably had to do with the fact that Sam was supposed to fight on hell's side in the war post the Asset's death.

Chloe could trust this so much easier having this knowledge under her belt.

"And Whitney...he didn't survive that last fight with his dad," Brady sighed. "I knew occupation of a body with a living soul trapped inside of it would be an issue with anyone if I got found out, so I chose one whose inhabitant was already on the way out." He shrugged. "It's just me in here."

Somehow...somehow she'd already known this. That didn't mean that it didn't sadden her as she let her hand drop to her side. "I'm not going to tell them about you."

"Why not?" He asked softly.

"Because they'll kill you." Her green orbs rose to his.

He gulped before nodding his agreement to that. "So, Archangel blade."

"Impressed?" She tried for a smile.

"You have _no_ idea." He didn't crack a smile at all, seeming somewhat nervous as he eyed, her almost as if seeing her for the first time.

Chloe eyed him. "Do you _really_ have no idea why we're here?"

"Oh, I think we _all_ have an idea about why we're here." He sent a look towards the others before returning his gaze to her. "This is revenge."

"Why's _Dean_ here then?" Chloe wanted to know. "He isn't a part of this."

"Isn't he?" Brady raised an eyebrow at her look. "How better to hurt you than to hurt him?"

Chloe gulped.

Brady sighed as he leaned in. "At _least_ tell me that you and he have done the naked tango by now."

Chloe blushed darkly before lowering her head, shaking it.

"You can't be serious!" Brady hissed, palming his face. "You _know_ that Spencer has a thing for virgins!"

"It isn't my fault! I didn't even know he was still a threat!" She glared hotly at Brady, reminding him of whose fault _that_ was. "Anyway, we were about to, last night, when-." She licked her lips, face growing hotter and hotter. "It was _finally_ going to happen and then I got brought to this dump."

"That's not good." Brady frowned.

"_Tell_ me about it!" Chloe grumbled.

He looked darkly amused at her. "I meant, he chose to bring you before Dean could 'defile' you. He made _sure_ you were still a virgin."

Chloe gulped, looking up at him. "Is there anything demon-wise you can do?"

Brady shook his head. "Not without giving away who I am, and you know what would happen if they knew. I've been keeping them safe as best and discreetly as I can, discreetly for Wade's sake at least. Even then there's something about this place that has weakened me. I have no idea what it is, and believe me, I'm annoyed as hell."

Chloe ran her hand over her face. "Maybe now that we're all here he'll show up to give the cliched Villain Speech where he tells everyone his ultimate plan for some reason or the other."

Brady's lips twitched as the two made their way back to the others. "Are we talking about the same Spencer? Because if _I_ remember right, he wasn't much into monologues."

He was, unfortunately, very right about that.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe eyed the demon in front of her. "How frequently are you supposed to check in with Azazel?" She leaned closer. "How long do we got until you're missed and they start looking?"

Brady licked his lips. "Today. I should've checked in today."

"Good. That means the search is on already…but you can't contact him with them around, we'll need to get you some time alone." She eyed him before clearing her throat and turning to the others, leading Brady back to find Wade and Dean arguing about something. "We need to get out of here."

"We know that." Wade turned his gaze on her. "Did you miss the part where we _can't_?"

"I'm not just staying here because you're too scared to leave." Dean declared.

"_Scared_?" Wade turned on Dean. "If I was _scared _I wouldn't have been out there and wouldn't have found you guys so shut up Calvin Klein!"

Jess stood next to Sam and yet was eyeing Chloe repentantly.

Chloe just didn't want to deal with Jess right now, not now, not with everything. So she ignored the older girl and turned to Brady. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"We found a map of Wyoming with a town called Forgotten circled in red, but it could be a Red Herring for all we know," Brady admitted.

She nodded.

At least this was a start.

* * *

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

* * *

"Well, according to this map there's a town not that far away from here." Chloe put her hair up in a ponytail as she gazed down at the map. "We should try for there."

"Everyone keeps forgetting about those things out there." Jess hugged herself. "Spencer isn't going to let us walk out of this town. Not without some sort of confrontation."

"Well, if Spencer wants a fight he's going to get one." Dean's voice was low, gravel. "I'm _itching_ to stab something." His gaze slid to Wade before it returned to the map and his grip on the edge of the table tightened.

"He's not alone. He's got friends," Sam reminded. "And Spencer on his own was a lot to handle - much less with _backup_."

"I'm not as versed in this supernatural crap as the lot of you." Wade let out a growl. "So can someone explain how this is all happening? I mean, I get that he's some sort of weird pedo ghost who electricity affected - and who affected electricity. And he could jump bodies through touch. And he had a thing for Chloe…" Wade smirked as he gazed at her. "Not that I didn't get that bit."

Chloe rolled her eyes at him.

Dean's grip on the edge of the table tightened further.

Sam cleared his throat. "We've been researching this ever since we escaped, especially after we realized that there might be a chance that Spencer escaped. He wasn't a normal sort of spirit, we don't know what they did differently during that seance, but they did _something_, summoned him _wrong_. That could account for the reason why certain rules worked with him and others didn't."

"Which ones didn't?" Dean turned to his brother.

"EMF doesn't pick him up." That was Brady. "He doesn't appear in photos or video."

"Rocksalt only phases him, and its _very_ short. Like maybe two minutes at most." Jess shivered. "Electricity seems to stun him worse."

Right. Dean remembered seeing Jess _tazer_ the ghost when he'd attacked Chloe. "Anyone have a tazer on them?"

"I have one back in our motel room, but not on me." Chloe made a face.

Wade's eyes narrowed as they landed on Chloe. "You're sharing a motel room with Calvin Klein?"

Chloe turned to him with wide green eyes and red cheeks. "Uhm, yeah."

Wade narrowed his eyes. "Have you _slept_ with him?"

"That's really none of your business, is it?" Dean snarled at him, although he had to admit that a part of him was evilly pleased that Wade had found out without him having to look like a possessive asshole and spelling it out.

A muscle jumped in Wade's cheek as he turned to Chloe. "I need to talk to you in private."

Chloe's eyebrow rose. "I think this meeting in more important than—."

Wade grabbed her upper arm and yanked her off to the side.

Dean made to follow when Sam stopped him. "So help me, Sammy. If you don't get out of my way—."

"Dean, _listen_." Sam wasn't even looking at him. Instead he was tense, his eyes above.

Dean narrowed his eyes and looked up. He didn't see anything, but he could hear the softest of sounds that took him a moment to place. Someone was whistling, and the song sounded like the _itsy bitsy spider_. He'd heard that whistle before, not himself but in Chloe's dreams. The hunter turned blanche and his light hazels went to Chloe to let her know but both she and Wade had gone still and were looking around them as well, obviously having heard the sound.

Chloe's greens swung to Dean's hazels, and her eyes widened before suddenly everything went black and the room erupted in explosions and screams.

* * *

Brady wasn't sure where he was or how he'd gotten there, but he was alone and he could see the forest in the distance. If he got there, if he got to higher ground, he'd be able to communicate with Azazel.

A scream erupted somewhere behind him. It sounded like Jess.

Taking in a deep breath, Brady reminded himself that if he didn't get them help they'd all die, and that was why he turned and ran in the opposite direction of Jess' screams.

* * *

"Where's Dean?" Chloe looked around herself, not even paying attention as Wade gripped her hand tightly and forced her to continue running. "I can't see Dean!"

"Be _quiet_ or those things will find us!" Wade hissed as he looked around and then kicked the door to one of the buildings open. Throwing her in he hurried in after her and slammed the door closed behind them. Seconds after he'd thrown himself against the door something else slammed into it from behind, howls loud in the air.

Chloe hurried to the door and pushed against it as well. "What _are_ those things? And how did we suddenly end up outside?"

"Hell if I know," Wade grunted as he continued to keep his back pressed against the door, which shook behind them. "So, you and Clavin Klein? _Really_?"

"Is this really the time for this?" Chloe glared at him.

He raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for an answer.

"_Yes_! Me and 'Calvin Klein'!" She let out a growl as she continued to press back against the door.

Wade glared and looked away. "I thought we had a deal."

"Oh you've got to be—it's not like _you've_ been celibate waiting all this time!" She was almost relieved for the creatures trying to get into the building.

"That's not the same."

"_How_ is that not the same?"

"It just isn't."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Man logic. It's so stupid."

He glared at her. "_Calvin Klein_ is stupid!"

"His name's _Dean_!"

"Deanie Weanie."

She snickered and shook her head. "You're being so immature right now it's not even funny."

He groaned and looked up at the ceiling. "I know."

She sent him a sideways glance. They might be arguing right now. They might've have seen each other in forever. They might not get out of this one in one piece, but despite that it felt good to see Wade again. She trusted Wade, and for some inexplicable reason liked him. She just wished that things didn't usually end up this way whenever she was with him. "We need to stop hanging out only when someone is trying to kill us."

He snickered and then reached out a hand to her. "It's a deal."

Shaking it, Chloe cried out when the pressure behind the door stopped. Sharing a wary look with Wade, she kept pressed against the door nonetheless and looked up at the ceiling. "I hope Dean's okay."

"Yeah. His safety's my number one concern too."

Sending a glare in Wade's direction, Chloe shook her head and hoped that, wherever he was, Dean was safe.

* * *

"She's been hurt really badly." Sam looked back where Jess sat against the wall, her shoulder bleeding. It hurt him to see her in so much pain and so vulnerable, but he knew that he wouldn't let anything else happen to the woman he loved. "We need to get her to a hospital."

Dean stared out of the windows at the creatures prowling outside. "When they said that he had 'friends' I imagined other phantoms. _Not_—whatever the hell those things are!"

Sam gazed out as well, eyes narrowed as he realized that those things weren't attacking, they were just making sure that the trio couldn't escape. "They separated us from the others."

"You think?" Dean snapped.

He tried to fight his own temper by reminding himself that should their positions be switched, he would be just the same way Dean was at being separated from Jess during a time like this. "Brady and Wade will take care of her."

"Oh, I know Wade will," Dean growled.

Sam lost his temper. "What is your _issue_, Dean? I know that Wade's a lot to handle sometimes, but I know him from before, and he's a good enough guy! He's also protected Chloe and—."

"He was her husband on the other side, Sammy." Dean could barely get the words out. "_Wade_ was the guy that she was married to."

Sam's eyes widened as suddenly _it all_ made sense. "Chloe told you this?"

"She didn't have to. Things she said about him made me realize who it was that she'd been married to on the other side." Dean ran his hand down his face. "The rings she still wears around her neck? They are _their_ wedding rings."

Oh wow. Sam hadn't seen this coming. He could see now why Dean was in such a state. He'd not only gotten separated from the girl he loved, but she was now with the guy who (as Dean saw it) had stolen her from him in the alternate reality. He totally got where his brother's attitude was coming from. "Dean, whatever happened in the other universe doesn't matter. She's in love with _you_."

Dean looked away, clearly uneasy and unwilling to be comforted.

"He's right, you know." Jess' words were grunted out in pain. "I don't know exactly what you're talking about when you say alternate universes and crap, but I can tell you one thing: Chloe can barely handle Wade's touch."

Dean turned around to look at the bleeding blonde in the corner.

"She's pushed herself harder with him than with any other guy, but believe me, the images of the other psychos who hurt her still appear in her mind." Jess straightened despite the pain she was obviously in as she pressed Sammy's bunched up jacket against her wound. "I don't know about any other universe, but in this one _you_ are the only one she seeks out, the only one she touches willing, the only one she feels _safe_ with." Jessica's eyes narrowed on Dean. "That girl might be young, but she's gone through enough to make her know what she wants, and you're blind if you can't see that it's _you_ and not Wade."

Sam turned to Dean to warn him off of snapping at Jess, but the expression on his brother's face was far from annoyed. In fact, he was pensive. It was an interesting look on his brother's face and as Sam went to sit next to Jess, he applied pressure to her wound and gazed up at Dean.

Taking in a deep breath, Dean nodded. "You're right."

Oh my god. Had Dean just said those two words?

"Of course I am," Jessica scoffed.

Dean's lips twitched before his lights hazels went to Sam. "Marry that girl, Sammy."

Sam outright grinned at his brother.

Jessica did as well before she moaned at the pain. "I feel like such a sissy for moaning and groaning like this."

"You're _hurt_," Sam defended her. "You moan and groan as much as you need to."

Jessica turned to look at him, tenderness in her eyes. "I missed you so much."

His heart clenched. "And I you."

Dean groaned and looked up at the heavens. "Oh god, the chick flick moments are gonna kill me!"

Sam flipped his brother the finger.

Jessica leaned her head against the wall and laughed as she eyed Dean. "Please. You act as if you're not going to have a chick flick moment when you get Chloe back."

Dean opened his mouth, closed it, opened it and then pursed his lips in a pout. "Sammy, _don't_ marry that girl."

Jessica laughed loudly.

Sam wasn't sure whether to be terrified or not that his girlfriend and brother seemed to get on like a house on fire.

* * *

"So…" Chloe made a face. "How's Star City?"

Wade thought for a couple of minutes. "Nice, actually."

They both sat on the ground with their backs to the door they kept shut. The things outside had stopped banging against it a while back, but that didn't mean that the humans inside wanted to chance it just yet.

"Oh, right…" Wade turned to her. "You remember that psycho place in Star City that you were telling me about?"

She nodded, surprised at the topic. "Yeah."

"I know someone who went there. She said that place was fucked up."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes narrowed.

He leaned closer to her. "Apparently there were a string of 'suicides' that she said were _not_ suicides, but the place totally covered it up. And get this…" he lowered his voice. "Apparently, she said she saw some weird monster thing, but they told her it was the meds she was on."

"I thought they were supposed to treat people naturally and not focus on medication." That had been one of the reasons why she'd considered it.

"I don't know. All I _do_ know is that she was scared as _hell_. Has been ever since she got out. Thinks the monsters or ghost or whatever was going to come after her." Wade made a face. "I told her about that salt shit. You know? How its supposed to keep evil presences out? She's simmered down some since then."

Chloe grinned and bumped shoulders with him. "Lookey here. Wade Mahaney, occult adviser."

"Take that back!" He laughed as he pointed his finger at her.

_The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout…_

Both froze as the low male voice sang in the air around them.

_ Down came the rain and washed the spider out…_

The whole building began to rattle.

_Up came the sun and dried up all the rain…_

Suddenly the walls caught of fire, causing the two to hurry to their feet, trapped inside of the burning building as the fire spread to the door.

_And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up…_

The voice echoed loudly and all around them as Wade grabbed his head and yelled.

"_Wade_?" Chloe's eyes widened.

…_the spout…_

Wade stropped screaming and turned to face her, a smile she recognized all too well on his face. "_Again_."

* * *

"Have you finally found her?" Meg raised an eyebrow as she stood at the look on her father's face when he entered the room. "Is she okay?"

"I've heard from Brady." Azazel turned to his daughter, eyes demon-gold. "They've been taken by the same spirit they battled in Stanford. I've sent my best fighters to the boundaries, I've gone there myself, but there's something around the place that makes it impossible for Brady to leave, or for my minions to enter."

"How could a mere spirit trap a _demon_?" Meg's eyes narrowed as she moved closer, anxious. She'd known something was wrong when Chloe failed to either Skype her session, or text to give a reason why she couldn't make their regularly scheduled sessions.

"He's not working alone." A muscle jumped in Azazel's cheek. "Brady says that the place is crawling with chimera."

"_Chimera_?" Meg's eyes went black in shock. "No spirit can control those beasts!"

"Exactly." Her father paced the floor of her meatsuit's office. "Someone else is behind this."

"Are we thinking it's the same person who's trying to kill her?" Meg wanted to know.

"No. This is different." Azazel shook his head. "This _reeks_ of Dalakis."

"I thought your intel said that they wanted her alive." Meg's eyes narrowed as she clenched her hands into fists. "Why would they do something like this? Why help the spirit that's traumatized her? The things he did—she still has nightmares! Why would they _help_ him get to her?"

Azazel continued to pace the floor before he froze and his eyes widened. "It's a test."

"Why would they test her?" Meg couldn't quite get the logic. "They already know that she's their blood."

"They're not testing her." Azazel licked his lips. "They're testing _Dean_."

* * *

"_Spencer_." Chloe was sick to her stomach as she stared up at Wade, and yet behind his eyes was a darkness, a lustful evilness that she recognized all too well.

"Hello Chloe." His smile wasn't Wade's, and it made her sick to her stomach. "Did you really think that Tommy's valiant little self-sacrifice was going to be enough to get rid of me? Did you _really_? If so, I'm truly disappointed in you."

"How will I ever managed to survive with the knowledge that I disappointed you?" Despite her snark she was fighting with every fibre in her body not to allow herself to show just how affected, how scared she was right now. She'd faced worse evil than this, Michael/Adam was a testament of this, and yet Spencer made up some of the worse parts of her nightmares and being in front of him once more made her want to puke as she remembered the terror she'd lived during that time in Stanford.

"You look… different." Wade's body drew closer before he let out a smirk. "Have you been working out?"

She had her Archangel blade in her boot. If she—. No. Chloe gulped as she realized that she couldn't use her best weapon against Spencer. The Archangel blade would definitely kill him once and for all, but it would also kill Wade. Humans couldn't take the angelic energy that raced through their bodies once stabbed with those things, it burnt them from the inside.

The realization that she was going to have to find some other form of rescuing Wade and killing Spencer made her scared and had her backing up against the wall. She hadn't ever known about a spirit who was as unique as Spencer, and considering she'd thought he was dead she hadn't looked into studying more about what sort of spirit he might be. She was _so_ going to punch Sammy once this was over.

"I find this so… rich." He grinned down at her as he stood with an inch between them, her body plastered against the wall. "It only seems appropriate that I finally get to defile that body of yours, and that I use the body of your soulmate to do so."

"Soulmate?" Chloe narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

He paused and then laughed. "You don't know."

"Don't know what?" Chloe glared at him.

"I did some investigating while I was out, jumping from body to body, and word on the street was that the Asset was being difficult, even when it came to the man whose marks match the ones on her heart." He patted his hand on Wade's heart. "This body is your soulmate."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock. "You're lying."

"Nope." Wade's face leaned close to hers and raised the hand that now had Spencer's spiderweb tattoo on it, trailing it down the side of her neck. "That's why this is going to be so much fun."

Body reacting on instinct, Chloe used the lessons alt!Lois had given her and kneed Wade. When he crouched over in pain she punched him hard enough to drop him to the ground. Taking advantage of the seconds this gave her, she unlocked the door and, not caring about the monsters that'd chased them in there in the first place, raced out into the darkness.

The creatures were gone but she didn't have time to wonder about that as Wade's voice yelled her name viciously from behind her.

He was up. He was pissed. And he was gaining on her.

* * *

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

* * *

Dean looked up as the sound of Wade yelling Chloe's name echoed through the air. There was something off about the sound of his voice, something twisted, but it could very well be the echo.

Jess and Sam looked up as well. Jess was growing paler and paler from blood loss. They needed to get out there, and soon. But to do so, his brother would need his help. They all knew that Sam wouldn't be able to get her out of there alone.

Dean turned to his brother. "I'll be back for you guys." And with that he unlocked the door and raced out of it, ignoring the sound of Sam as he yelled his name.

* * *

Chloe's heart raced as she ran through the darkness of the ghost town. All around her everything was silent and lifeless. It seemed like the perfect place to die in, to fade in and join the utter quiet that filled this town, but she had no intention of dying. Not today. Not here. Not when there was so much she had to live for. She still hadn't been with Dean. She couldn't die a virgin. No way! And she wasn't going to die and leave Wade with that fucker as a passenger. She couldn't do that to the guy. Never. He'd been too good of a friend to her. He'd kept secrets for her, secrets no one else did.

_He's your soulmate_.

She didn't get that. How could _Wade_ be her soulmate? She cared for him, and she supposed that in her own way she loved him as well. And once upon a time there'd been enough of an attraction for her to deliberate losing her virginity to him. But she wasn't in love with him. She was in love with Dean. Dean—Dean was her everything. He was her sunlight and her darkness. Her safety and her adventure. He was her high and her low. Everything. He was everything. If there was anyone who should be her soulmate it should be _him_. But if Spencer was to believe it wasn't so.

And really, what would Spencer get out of lying about this? She could see the ghost getting his kicks out of hurting her while in the body of her soulmate. Given everything she knew about him that fit exactly in his sort of 'fun'.

"CHLOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEE!" He yelled from somewhere around the corner.

The blonde ducked behind a truck and closed her eyes tightly, feeling like a mouse being chased by a cat.

"CHLLOOOOOEEEEE!" He was closer. "Come out come out wherever you are!"

"HEY! WADE!" A voice yelled as another set of footsteps could be heard. "Where's Chloe?"

Eyes flying wide in horror, Chloe moved without thinking. Shooting up from her hiding place, her greens rested on Dean as he approached Wade. "Don't let him touch you! That's not Wade!"

Both men turned to look at her for a split second, distracted by her sudden appearance, but thankfully Dean recovered quicker. He didn't stop to question or even doubt whether she might be the one possessed. Instead he yanked his gun out and pointed it at Wade, aiming for his heart.

"Don't shoot!" Chloe screamed in horror. "You'll only kill Wade and free Spencer to take another body!"

Dean's gaze flittered to her for a split second before it returned to Wade.

"Or, she could be lying." Spencer's smile was an abomination on Wade's lips. "She _would_ do anything to save him, after all."

Chloe hurried towards Dean, her gaze around them in the darkness to keep an eye for those other things as she reached him. "Unless that's rocksalt, you can't shoot him."

"Aww, you're so adorable. So protective of this body." Spencer's smile continued to cause ripples of disgust to trail down her spine. His gaze turned to Dean. "Then again, that's what soulmates do, isn't it? Protect each other at any cost?"

Suddenly Dean froze and his grip on the gun shook slightly. Although his gaze never left Wade/Spencer, his question was clearly directed at Chloe when he asked: "What is he talking about?"

"Don't feel too bad, from what I hear, she didn't know about it either until I told her." The amusement was evil in Wade's eyes. "Why do you think I chose to inhabit this body and not any of the other males here, yourself included?" He eyed Dean up and down in an appreciating way before their eyes met. "Little Miss Muffet has some punishment coming to her, and it'll hurt her even worse when the one inflicting it is none other than the body of the man whose heart contains the same symbols as hers." He patted the skin over his heart. "Soulmates are such rare and _fascinating_ creatures."

Something happened to Dean at that moment, and Chloe didn't know exactly what it was. All she knew was that a shadow seemed to visibly cross over him, and his eyes darkened as his grip tightened on the gun. "_Soulmate_?" He cocked the gun. "_**Soulmate?**_"

"He's _lying_." Chloe wouldn't allow herself to believe otherwise.

"This body, this soul, was marked for you and you for him - just like Mary and John Winchester." Spencer laughed at Dean's expression as he spoke to him. "There is so much you don't know, but you don't need to know. You're useless, worthless. You're not even worthy of being the Michael's Sword anymore. You're irrelevant in this story." His turned his orbs on Chloe. "You and this body though? You're destined to be together. To marry. To have children. To be only his—."

The sound of the shot and Wade/Spencer's cry as the bullet hit him on his shoulder and knocked him backwards shocked Chloe to the core. She turned to stare at Dean with horrified eyes only to hear the sound of creatures howling around them, drawing near. She shook herself out of her horror and grabbed Dean's wrist, tugging him away from Wade/Spencer. "We have to go! Now! Dean! Come on!"

Dean turned to look at her, and for a second she didn't recognize the man with such cold eyes, but then he was her Dean again and he was running with her. All around them the sounds of growling could be heard, and a part of Chloe wondered why they hadn't been attacked, if maybe they weren't being herded. But she didn't have time to wonder about that as Dean found a warehouse door that was unlocked and pulled it open. Flinging her inside, he raced in and pulled the sliding doors down, locking them closed in time for creatures to bang against them and claw.

Both moved away from the doors and looked around the pitch blackness. They could've locked themselves in with some other sort of monster for all they knew.

A light flickered on to reveal Dean with a cigarette lighter in his hand. "Stay here." His voice was gruff, harsh, and made her do as told as he set off to explore the warehouse, which was actually quite small and was thus quick to clear. Dean was silent as he checked the place out. Chloe sat on the floor and stared at him, unable to believe that he'd shot Wade. Sure, it hadn't been a fatal wound, but he'd shot him nonetheless. Had he thought Spencer was about to attack? Had he seen some sort of cue that she hadn't? That must be it. That was the only reason she could come up with for him hurting the innocent body being controlled by the evil spirit.

When Dean returned to her side, he sat on the ground next to her and turned off the flame, bathing them in darkness.

She supposed she should feel scared, or even nervous considering they were trapped in the dark with monsters out there. But she was with Dean. That was all that mattered. As long as he was with her she'd be fine.

"Was he telling the truth?" Dean's voice was gruff and barely audible in the darkness.

Chloe stared in his general direction in the darkness. "I don't trust anything Spencer says. He's evil, Dean, and all he wants to do is get back at us for what we did to him."

There was silence and then a soft and almost threatening whisper. "I won't give you to him. _Ever_. Even if he's your goddamn soulmate I will _never_ let him have you."

"_I don't __**want**__ you to_." She reached out in the darkness and her hand hit his shoulder by accident. The girl moved towards him on her knees as she trailed her hand up his shoulder and then neck to find and cup his face. She couldn't see it, not in this pitch black, but she could feel the tension in his body and could only imagine what sort of expression he might have. "Dean… I _never_ want you to 'give me away'. I never—I don't—Dean—." She closed her eyes despite the darkness of the room. "Dean— I need you to understand and to believe that I don't want anyone but you. I—!" A gasp escaped her lips as Dean's arms reached out into the darkness and pulled her onto his lap so he could wrap his arms around her tightly and kiss all thought from her mind.

Desperation leaked into her from his kiss and she kissed him back just as urgently as she curled her fingers through his hair. They were in danger and they mightn't make it out of this one, but she didn't care. Not when Dean's hands were on her, his lips against hers. The natural, musky scent of his skin, the taste of his lips, the feel of his calloused hands - they were familiar and exciting - as well as soothing. Dean inspired so many warring feelings inside of her, but all of them were positive and uplifting and _amazing_. She didn't believe in soulmates, but if they existed, Dean would be hers. He _was_ her soul. He was her heart. He was her courage. Her _everything_. She loved him so much it hurt. It was a wonderful sort of hurt. A hurt she couldn't get enough of and never would.

It took her a couple of minutes to realize he was whispering something fiercely against her lips, and another couple of minutes to force herself to concentrate enough to make out what those words were.

"_I need you…"_

Chloe whispered the words back to him as she reached for her shirt, yanked it off of her body, and threw it on the ground.

Dean went still beneath her. "Chloe…" his voice was strained. "Chloe—I don't think—."

"I'm okay with you not thinking," she whispered before bringing his hand to cup a breast over her bra.

Dean let out a choked sound that was half cry/half laugh as he shifted his palm to cover her mound. His mouth found hers as his other hand did as well, both kneading her breasts softly in a way that had chills of pleasure racing up and down her spine. "I—I hate saying this—but this probably isn't the best time to do this."

"It definitely isn't," she agreed softly before she bucked against his lap and reveled in the sound of his groan. "Probably the worse time ever."

"_Chloe_…" Dean groaned as his hands went to her hips to try and stop their movements. "I'm just barely keeping from taking you against the floor. Work with me. Help me out here."

"I don't want to," she whispered in his ear before she nibbled on it.

The sound he let out was painful as he dug his fingers into her thighs. "Chlo—."

"_I want you_," she continued to nibble on his ear. "_I want you inside of me. You. Only you._"

Dean's grip tightened on her hips and he leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "_I can't believe I'm doing this_." In two seconds he'd pulled her off and sat her on the ground in front of him. "When we're safe and far from here you and I are going to rent us a cabin somewhere and we're going to do this right."

"But—."

"Once I'm inside of you, I don't want to have to stop—_for days_." Dean's voice was hard, strained, pained. "And if we do anything here, that ain't going to happen." He took in a deep breath. "So we need to find the others and get the hell out of here."

"And save Wade." When he didn't answer, Chloe's eyes narrowed in his general direction. "We're saving Wade."

There was a pause, and then Dean cleared his throat. "We don't know what Spencer is, okay? You guys already tried dealing with him and obviously it didn't work. Its best for everyone if we retreat for now."

Horror filled her. "We are _not_ leaving Wade under the control of that psychotic pedophile!"

"He'll be fine—."

"I'm not leaving Wade!" She couldn't believe they were having this discussion. "Dean! You help people! You save them! That's your family business!"

"Yeah, well, I'm all booked up helping _you_, keeping _you_ safe." His voice grew gruff once more. "That's all that I consider _my_ business anymore."

Her eyes widened, confusion and disbelief swirling inside of her. "But—!"

"He's not your soulmate, Chloe!" He snapped.

"I know he isn't!" She snapped right back. "I never thought he was!"

"Yeah? Well it doesn't seem that way."

What exactly was going on here? Why was he so adamant against Wade? Sure he hadn't liked him before much, but it wasn't just this whole soulmate thing that had him on edge. He'd been hostile from before Spencer had said that. So what was going on? "You act like you don't give a damn about whether we save him or not." Her eyes narrowed in the darkness. "You sound like you would prefer if we didn't."

"I never—."

"What is going _on_ with you, Dean?" Something was wrong, something was _horribly_ wrong.

"I'm just saying that we don't know how to deal with this Spencer guy, we don't even know what makes him so special. The only smart thing to do - the only thing we _can_ do - is retreat for now and then figure out how to deal with this Spencer guy later. And believe me, I _want_ to nail Spencer. He tried to hurt you, he _almost_ hurt you. I saw what happened—how Jess saved—_believe_ me when I say I'm going to kill him. But to do so we have to leave Wade behind." Dean's voice was calm now, and that worried her. "I am not saying this because it is Wade. I would say it no matter _who_ Spencer possessed."

"That's a lie."

"That's not a—."

"If Spencer possessed _me_ you wouldn't leave." She knew it for a fact, knew it with the same certainty as she did that she needed to breathe. "You would _never_ leave me here under his control." The silence was her confirmation. "You'd find a way to sedate me, to control my body without touching me—a way to bind me so that I couldn't move or he couldn't jump ship—and then you'd figure out a way to kill him without hurting me." Her voice lowered. "I _know_ you would."

The silence drew long before he sighed, his voice defeated. "Of course I would." He cleared his throat. "But Spencer didn't possess you. And you know why? Because he wants to _hurt_ you. And I'm sorry, I don't like Wade, that's true. But that's not why I'm saying this. I'm saying it because I'm going to protect you, and this is the only way I know how."

"But Dean—!"

"No buts." His voice was resolute. "We're going to get Sam and help him with Jess, and then we're getting out of here."

"Is Jess okay?" Chloe's eyes widened.

"No, she was hurt and bleeding a lot when I left them. When you disappeared one of those things bit her up pretty badly." Dean reached out in the darkness and found her hand. "We have to leave Wade, Chloe, and possibly Brady. Jess needs to get to a hospital. No matter how much pressure we put the bleeding won't stop."

This changed things, and while she didn't like it, she could do nothing but lower her head. "I understand." She then paused. "Why possibly Brady? Wasn't he with you guys?"

"No. When you and Wade disappeared, so did he."

A smile touched her lips, which was hidden in the darkness.

Brady could be getting into contact with Azazel, who could be already on his way to help. Azazel would know what to do. He'd know how to get Spencer out without hurting Wade. He'd help her. She knew he would.

That was why she grinned brighter and stood. "Okay. Let's go slip passed Spencer and those things and find Sam and Jess."

* * *

This was definitely Dalakis magic. There was nothing else human that could be this strong.

Azazel had walked the entire length of the boundary and hadn't been able to find a weak spot. Not one. There was no way that only one Dalakis was behind this. Hannah was definitely chipping in with someone else to do this spell. Maybe it was Viktor, but Azazel doubted it. If this really was a test for Dean, as he suspected, he didn't believe Viktor would want a part of it. From what he knew, Viktor was a firm believer in purity and preserving the bloodline, which was why the fact that he'd had a child with an unblood quite ironic.

Unlike Viktor, Hannah must've realized by now that separating Chloe from Dean was going to be near impossible. The next step, Azazel figured, would be to test the unblood.

Dalakis blood was strongest at its most pure, which was why the family had gone to great lengths to intermarry to keep it that way. It was also why there were so many insane people in that clan. Cousins could only marry cousins so often until things started to get murky. Chloe was probably the only child in a _very _long time who'd been born to someone who didn't have Dalakis blood, and that was because she hadn't been planned for. She'd already diluted the Dalakis bloodline by having been conceived by an unblood mother. Azazel hadn't thought the clan would risk further contamination of their bloodline by ever accepting her to cleave with an unblood as well, but this whole situation had him wondering otherwise.

"Sir, Brady reports that the chimera know he is there, but aren't attacking." Tom, still dressed in Gabe Sullivan's skin, moved towards him from the darkness. "He says they've assembled as a living barrier of sorts around the town itself and other than refusing to allow him back into the town with the others, won't even acknowledge his presence."

"They're keeping him separated." This was intriguing.

"This is ridiculous," another voice declared behind him.

"Uriel." Azazel turned towards his partner in crime. "What took you so long?"

"Humans have kept you out? _Humans_?" Disdain was visible on the angel's face as he released his Angel blade and moved towards the glowing barrier. "That is pathetic, Azazel." With that he raised his glowing weapon and brought it down on the barrier—only to be blown backwards by the backlash of the defense around it.

Azazel's lips twitched as he watched Uriel smack backwards into a tree and slide to the ground with an _ooof_. "What was that you were saying?"

Glaring at the demon, Uriel picked up his blade and stormed towards the demon. "Dalakis."

"Yes."

"They're growing more powerful." And he obviously despised that. "A holy blade should be able to pierce _anything_."

"Dalakis," Azazel reminded with a shrug. "Considering their bloodline I'm not that shocked."

"What now?" It visibly pained the angel to ask that as he put his blade away and straightened his usually immaculate suit.

Azazel raised an eyebrow and then sighed. "We wait."

* * *

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

* * *

"Don't you feel like they're herding us?" Dean tapped on the door in the combination of knocks he and Sam always used whenever they were separated under intense situations. Already he could hear his brother getting up and coming to the door.

Chloe looked around them, obviously trying to place the growls in the night yet unable to see the source. "I've felt that way for a while now."

Finally the door opened and Sam appeared, letting them in.

Dean shuffled Chloe inside and closed the door behind him.

Chloe looked up at Sam and hurried into his arms in a hug, her voice wavering as she whispered: "He's got Wade."

Sam's gaze turned to Dean immediately and the older Winchester could read the questions there. "We'll get him back, Chlo."

She nodded and then pulled away to go to where Jess sat on the ground, her wound still bleeding. "Dean said you were bitten."

"Yeah, one of those things got in here when you guys disappeared, I don't know how or why it left." Jess grit her teeth against the pain. "It bit me up pretty good, and no matter how much Sam tries to stop the bleeding, he can't."

Chloe frowned and helped put pressure on the wound. "They must have some sort of anticoagulant in their saliva."

Sam reached out and grabbed Dean's arm, yanking him to the side while Chloe was distracted, his voice low. "He got Wade?"

"When we heard him calling for her? That was Spencer." Dean found it hard to look away from Chloe, but he did. "He told us that Wade's her soulmate. That they have identical symbols on their hearts - whatever the hell that means."

Sam paled and looked pained. "I'm so sorry, Dean."

"It doesn't matter." Dean pushed away his own feelings of hurt and inadequacy, his worry and insecurities. He couldn't allow Sam to see them. "She's mine. Not his."

"But she's his _soulmate,_" Sam sighed. "Now I get why, in that reality, she was married to him and not you."

Dean couldn't stop himself as he reached out and grabbed his brother's shirt, dragging him close, eyes narrowed. "She. Is. Not. His. Soulmate."

"Dean." Sam's eyes told him to chill. "Get a grip on yourself."

"A church?" Chloe's voice caused Dean to let go of Sam and turn to look at her as she did him. "Did you hear that, Dean?"

"No." He cleared his throat. "Sammy and I were talking." He brushed passed his brother. "What was this about a church?"

"We've been looking through the plans in this room," Sam was the one who answered, "and we think this town was built over a leyline, and that it's core center of power is a church, built right in the middle of it."

"This is all fascinating, but it doesn't help us escape here," Dean declared.

Chloe frowned at him.

It was Jess who spoke though. "Leave? What about Brady? Or Wade? We can't leave them!"

"You're bleeding out, Jessica." Dean pointed to her. "We have no choice."

"_No_." Jess shook her head. "I won't be the reason we leave them here in this madness!"

"Jess, we have to do this." Sam moved to stand by his brother's side. "I won't let you die, and that is exactly what will happen if we don't leave right away!"

"Chloe and I saw a car on our way here. It still had fuel and the engine looked in working condition." Dean cleared his throat. "We can hotwire it and get the hell out of here."

"Those things gave you time to check out a car?" Sam blinked.

"They're herding us, staying in the shadows and not attacking, not yet." Chloe took in a deep breath. "It's like they're waiting for something, I don't know what."

"This is the best time to leave, while they're still in staying position." Dean turned to Sam. "We need to go. _Now_."

Jess looked up at Sam, pleading. "We can't leave them. They're our _friends_."

His face contorted in guilt. "I'm not going to let you die. Not even for them." As he turned to face Dean, Sam's eyes held that same coldness that Dean knew his did. "Help me with her. We're going to that car and we're getting the hell out of here."

* * *

Lois Lane glared at John Winchester. She'd never liked the man, but now that she had her memories back, yet no lead as to where exactly Dean had her cousin, she'd had to resort to drastic measures, and those drastic measures meant she'd had to hunt him down. She'd gotten his number and when he'd told her to come to where he was she'd gotten on the first Greyhound she could find without a question. "What do you _mean_ you don't know where they are?"

"Sam should be in Stanford," John repeated.

"Yeah? Well, he _isn't_," she repeated, annoyed. "I already told you, I was in Stanford and I asked about him and they said he took a leave of absence due to "family issues". You're his family! How do you not know about these issues?"

John glared at her and took in a ragged breath. "Look, the last time I saw either of my kids it was Dean, and he basically told me he was choosing taking care of that cousin of yours over our family business, over avenging his mother's death. How I see it, he chose your cousin over his own family, and I don't deal with traitors."

A muscle jumped in her cheek. "Do you know someone they might've gone to if they can't count on you anymore? Unlike you, I actually give a damn about my family and am not going to let a roadblock keep me from being with them."

John's glare intensified, and it looked like for a second he wouldn't answer her, and then he sighed. "I got a call some days back, it was from a friend; he mentioned that there was something I needed to know about the boys but that what he had to say had to be done in person. I told him where I was and have been waiting on him to arrive ever since." He whipped out his phone and dialed some numbers before bringing it to his ear and waiting. Finally, _finally_, it was answered. "Bobby. This is John. Tell me something straight, are my boys and Chloe with you? Are you all coming here together?" There was a moment before his eyes narrowed. "What do you _mean_ they've disappeared?"

* * *

Jess' wound really wouldn't stop bleeding. Chloe was worried. The girl was getting paler and paler, and it was obvious that it was harder and harder for Jess to stay conscious. If they didn't get her to a hospital soon - if they didn't stop the bleeding - she'd die. Chloe couldn't lose Jess. Sure, she'd been pissed off at her for not telling her about Spencer, but she didn't want anything to happen to her. Throughout the Stanford fiasco Jessica and her had come to each other's aid time and time again, and the blondes had formed a bond which had grown after Lois left. Jess had tried to step in and be there for her as much as she could while being physically absent. She'd Skyped or called or emailed or chatted through Facebook every single day with little stories of what she and Sam were doing or catching up on Chloe's side of the world, and generally letting the younger girl know that she was loved and missed and that she wasn't alone. Chloe had known without a doubt that even if Dean one day left, she'd still have them.

Chloe doubted that the girl realized just how much her efforts meant to her, how much better she'd made things.

"Sammy, I'm sleepy," Jess whimpered as they arrived in the car and Sam and Dean eased her into the back seat.

"Keep awake, Jess," Sam pleaded as he cupped her face.

"_Sammy_," Dean's voice brought his gaze up and all around them they could see dark shapes in the shadows. It was those things. They were readying to make their move.

"Don't let her go to sleep!" Sam hissed to Chloe as he pulled out a knife from his pocket and moved to stand guard while Dean hurried to the driver's seat to hotwire the car.

Chloe nodded and hurried into the backseat with Jess, pressing down on the wound. "Stay awake, Jess."

Jess' gaze rose to Chloe. "I'm so sorry we didn't tell you, Chloe."

Tears filled her greens as she smiled down at the girl. "It's all forgiven."

"We should've—."

"Yeah, you should've, but I get why you didn't. You wanted me to live without being worried all the time. You could see that I was getting better and you didn't want to send me back-tracking. It was misguided, but it was sweet." She smiled down at the girl and kept her hands against the wounds which seeped blood.

"If I die—."

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence." Chloe glared down at her as she pressed harder. "You are _not_ going to die. I won't let you. We're getting you to a hospital and then we're pumping more blood in you and everything will be fine."

"Chloe—."

"SAM LOOK OUT!" Dean yelled just as the car roared to life.

Chloe stared up and out of the window in time to see a creature jump out of the darkness, fling the blade out of Sam's hand with its tail, and then pounce on him, pinning him to the ground. "_No_."

"_What's happening_?" Jess cried, unable to see anything from where she lay. "Sammy!?"

Dean moved to get out, and made it out of the door, but then five creatures emerged from the darkness and blocked his way.

Chloe's eyes widened in horror. "Dean!"

He looked at the creatures but spoke to her. "Crawl into the front seat and drive her out of here."

"I'm not leaving you!" Chloe snapped the same time Jess cried out: "I won't leave Sam!"

Dean's voice was harsh. "Chloe, _do_ it!"

"Do! It!" Sam grunted from beneath the creature.

Jess shook her head and broke out sobbing. "I won't leave him! Don't make me leave him!"

Chloe gazed around quickly before her eyes widened when she noticed something behind them through the broken back window. "Jess, you need to live. That's all that's important right now. Okay? You need to live."

"_Chloe_?" Jess looked scared.

Leaning down, Chloe pressed a kiss to Jess' forehead before she dashed out of the back window. The broken glass cut her skin but she ignored the pain as she stumbled out the car and tumbled to the ground. The air filled with the scent of her blood, and the creatures all turned to look at her as she backed away deliberately slow to allow the scent to grow stronger. "Leave them alone and come after me."

"Chloe—!" Dean began.

"Get her out of here!" Chloe interrupted as she continued to back away, and the creatures took steps towards her. "I'll be fine! Hallowed ground!" And with that she turned, reached into her boot, pulled out her Archangel Blade, and raced in the direction of the church. She pushed passed the pain, the fear, and ignored the sounds all around her. The only one she was intent on was the sound of an engine as a car drove away.

Relief filled her soul as she dodged the creatures racing after her. One bit at her shirt and tore the bottom of it off, showing her belly bottom, and another brushed passed her, its fur surprisingly soft. When another knocked into her from the side, sent her rolling on the ground, and yet she still had time to get onto her feet and continue running she knew that they were once more herding. They weren't attacking, not really. Sure, her Metallica shirt would never be wearable again, but that creature could've easily bitten her with that attack and it hadn't.

She pushed away her worries about where this pack was herding her. Instead she concentrated on the sound of the engine as it got farther and farther agway. Her friends were going to make it. They were going to get out and get help. Until then she could hole up in the church. She _could_.

Up ahead the church loomed, and Chloe's heart soared as she pushed on forwards, barely dodging as one of the creatures swiped at her. With an extra hard push she passed through the gates of the church building and raced up to the doors, opening the heavy things and turning to close it only to find that the creatures, as she'd expected, had stopped at the edges of the church ground.

Hallowed ground. Nothing evil should be able to cross over, unless…

"In theory, great idea," Wade's voice declared behind her. "But you've got to remember to investigate what the church and its grounds were dedicated to."

Chloe turned on her heels, eyes wide in horror, as the doors behind her slammed shut.

Seated upon an altar up on the podium, Wade's body smirked at her. "It's not like this is your first time dealing with a church dedicated to some _other_ power. Really, I'm disappointed."

Lightning her grip on her Archangel blade, she raised it. "Don't come any closer."

His eyes widened at it and he tilted his head. "How did you get a hold of something like that?"

"If you don't leave Wade's body, I'll kill you," she promised.

"You won't kill this body," he grinned, self-assured as he patted his meatsuit. "He knows you won't."

Was Wade awake in there?

Her eyes narrowed. "He also knows that I won't let you touch me."

He tilted his head in the opposite direction, eyes widened in surprise. "You would kill this host."

She wasn't proud of it, and it would be her last option, she'd do everything she could to save him, but if it came between killing Wade/Spencer, and letting that monster put its hands all over her—she wouldn't _ever_ let another monster do that. _Ever_.

Spencer looked surprised and amused. "You want me to leave this meatsuit?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Fine," he shocked her by grinning and standing high on the altar. "I'll do so." With that he visibly left Wade's body, which fell, hit the altar hard, and collapsed on the floor.

Behind Chloe the doors flew open, and she twirled around to see that horrible smile on Dean's face. "_No_." She stumbled backwards in horror as she realized that Dean hadn't left. Of _course_ he hadn't left! He wouldn't have left! He wouldn't leave her! And now—because of _her_—Spencer! "Get out of him!"

"Now now, you're being so _unreasonable_." Dean's face smiled down at her as the doors slammed shut behind him, locking them together. He used the hand that bore Spencer's tattoo to pull down the front of Dean's shirt and stare at the anti-possession tattoo over his heart. "Much good _this_ did. These backers are _seriously_ better than my last ones." He let the shirt fall back into place and checked out his new body. "You know what? I don't think I blame you. I prefer this guy too."

Her stomach rolled in fear and disgust. "If you don't leave him I'll make you pay."

"By what? Crying?" He snickered. "You're so _close_ to sobs…" He moved closer and laughed when she backed away. "Threaten your soulmate and what do you do? You ready for the possibility of killing him. But threaten _this_ vessel and you look on the brink of breaking apart." He brought a hand to his lips. "How exactly does that work out? What's so special about this vessel that you'd choose him over your soulmate?"

"Dean _is_ my soulmate."

"Uh, no, he isn't." Spencer looked a little confused and a lot amused. "Believe me, I've been in both of them. This one? He is _nothing_."

"He's _everything_." She glared at him in utter hatred. "He's _my_ everything, and you're wrong if you think I'm going to let a piece of shit like you take him from me."

"This is so fascinating." Spencer snickered as he moved closer, backing her towards the altar. "Look at how you tremble. The fact that you value his life so much more than you do your soulmate's is just—it's delicious."

She hated him, hated him unlike she'd hated anyone. She wouldn't lose Dean. Not because of him. Not because of _anyone_. Not Dean. Never Dean. "I'll always choose Dean. He knows that."

Spencer chuckled. "Does he?"

Her eyes narrowed as her back hit the altar. "What are you talking about?"

Spencer moved towards her and pinned her against the altar, his grip covering hers on the Archangel blade and gripping it hard, hurting her. His smile grew ugly as he pointed the point to his heart. "Do it."

Her body shook.

He leaned in close, his voice in her ear. "Do it." He chuckled as she closed her eyes in terror. "You could choose between your soulmate and this body without even having to stop to ponder, but how about if you have to choose between yourself and him?"

Tears filled her eyes as she released her hold on the Archangel blade and let him have it. She couldn't hurt Dean. Not ever. Not even to save herself.

"How… _fun,_" he laughed.

Opening her eyes, Chloe stared up into his face. "Dean, I love you."

Spencer blinked and then snickered. "You can't get a hold of him. He's locked away and will watch while I use him to hurt you."

She ignored Spencer's jabs, instead stared into those eyes and tried to find her Dean. "I _love_ you."

Spencer cleared his throat and then sneered. "Proclaiming your love for me?"

Tears continued to fill her eyes as she refused to look away from his hazels. "I've only ever loved you."

Spencer's face contorted for a second before he backhanded her. "Enough of this sappy crap!" With that he pick her up and threw her onto the altar.

Crying out in pain, tears falling down her face, she continued to stare up into his eyes. "I'll never hurt you. I won't fight. I won't do anything. I can't. I _love_ you. I love you _so much_."

Spencer snarled as he slammed his hands into the altar beneath her and leaned over her, his face contorted and twisted with anger as he leaned in close to her. "_I know_."

She almost didn't see it in time, but she did. The flash of silver as Dean somehow stabbed the Archangel blade towards himself caused her eyes to widen in horror. "STOP!" In seconds she'd jumped onto his arm, stopping its trajectory towards his heart. "NO!"

Spencer stared down at her and his arm in utter horror as he realized just how close he'd been to dying at his own tattooed hand.

Tears falling down her eyes, Chloe shook her head at Dean. "_You will not leave me! You promised me you'd never leave me!_" She slapped his face. Her tears clouded her view for a second before she pushed up on her knees and cupped his face. "I can't do this without you, Dean. Don't you _dare_ cop out and—!" She couldn't finish it and instead brought his mouth to hers as she kissed him, hard. Tears fell down her face as she pulled him closer and pushed back the thought that she was kissing Spencer as well as Dean.

Underneath her grip Dean's body shook, and then he was kissing her back, and somehow she knew, she _knew_, it was Dean and not Spencer. She recognized the soft yet deep way his lips caressed her—the way his arms gripped around her, holding her to him and yet never hurting her.

Her tears continued to fall and she tasted salt in their kiss seconds before the sound of Spencer screaming could be heard, and yet the sound wasn't coming out from Dean's lips. Her greens opened for a split second to see Dean lit up as if explosions were happening deep within him, and that was where Spencer's cries came from. She didn't know how it was happening, but the lights in the church flickered on and off as he continued to scream.

Dean pulled her closer, his own tears mixing with hers as they took the kiss deeper.

Suddenly energy exploded out of Dean like a bomb had gone off.

Chloe gasped and pulled away, eyes wide.

When Dean opened his eyes she knew it was him. She didn't even have to look at his hand to see that Spencer's tattoo was gone. She _knew_. Just like she knew that Dean wouldn't hurt her. That she wouldn't hurt Dean. That she'd always choose him above all else.

His hazels narrowed on her. "You should've let me—that asshole could've hurt—!"

Chloe threw herself into his arms and held on tightly as she broke down into sobs.

Dean still visibly had tons of things he wanted to tell her off for, but he didn't. Instead he held her close and let her cry and cry and cry.

There'd be time for arguing later.

* * *

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural**

* * *

The barrier went down.

A little while before it'd shifted to allow Sam and Jess' car out, and then it'd _pushed_ a visibly weak Brady out, but hadn't allowed anyone to _enter_.

Now though? It was completely down.

Whatever the reason for the barrier had happened and now there was no more reason for it. The demons had worked immediately, infiltrating the town and finding no sign of the chimera. They were gone as well.

"They're in the church," Brady announced as he _walked_ in front of Azazel, apparently far too tired to teleport. "Dean and Chloe both sound like they're okay. Tom and the others didn't want to make their presence known though, so they hung back. The troops are pulling out as we speak. There isn't a threat any longer."

Azazel nodded. "Go back to them, they can't know—."

"Chloe knows. About me. She chose not to tell the others because she doesn't want them to hurt me."

Azazel blinked, intrigued.

Brady grinned. "She also has an Archangel blade."

Uriel's eyes widened in utter horror. "_HOW_?"

Brady shrugged and then, with obvious effort, disappeared so as to "stumble" across Chloe, Dean and Wade.

"How did she find out about Brady?" Azazel wanted to know.

"Who cares?" Uriel looked like he was about to faint. "How did she get her hands on an Archangel blade?"

"Our little Asset keeps getting more interesting," Azazel chuckled. "She's truly my favorite one."

"Yeah? Well she's giving me indigestion," Uriel grumbled. "Now I need to figure out which Archangel she stole a blade from _and how_." With that he disappeared.

Azazel shook his head. "He's going to get heartburn if he doesn't cool down." Sending a smile in the direction of the town, he chuckled and then teleported away.

* * *

"He's dead."

Chloe stared down in horror as Dean leaned over Wade. "_No_." But she knew it was true by just looking at him. Not only was Wade deathly still and horribly pale, but his head lay at an awkward angle. When Spencer left his body and it'd hit the altar Wade Mahaney had broken his neck. "_No_!" Tears filled her eyes as she collapsed to her knees next to him.

Dean took in a deep breath and reached out to close Wade's eyes as he gazed down at the man's body. "I didn't like you, but I didn't want you to meet your end like this."

"This is my fault, he—he shouldn't have been here!" Chloe turned to Dean and clung to him as he embraced her tightly. "He's dead because of me!"

"No, he's dead because of Spencer," Dean whispered harshly. "I know it has to be hard for you to see him die, again, but—."

"Again?" Chloe pulled away in confusion. "What do you mean _again_?"

Dean cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. "The first time you saw him die—it nearly broke you—and I don't want this to—."

"What are you talking about?" Chloe's confusion grew. "I've never seen him die before."

Dean's gaze lowered to the space between them. "I know, okay? I figured it out."

"Figured _what_ out?" She pressed. "Dean, you've lost me."

"I know he was your husband in the other reality!" Dean let out a harsh breath as his hazels rose to her. "I _know_. Wade was your husband. I know. I've _always_ known. You described your husband the same way you once described Wade to me. It wasn't hard to make the connection."

Chloe stared up into his conflicted face and couldn't believe what she was hearing. That hostility she hadn't been able to understand now made perfect sense! Dean had thought she'd been married to _Wade_ in the other reality! And then when he'd heard that she was supposedly Wade's soulmate… _Oh my gods_. She reached out and grabbed Dean's face, turning him to look at her. "I wasn't married to Wade in the other reality, Dean."

His eyes widened. "Then who—?"

"_You_." She searched his hazels as they widened in shock. "I was married to _you_. YOU were my husband."

Dean's lips parted. "_Me_?" His hand reached out and curled around her necklace, pulling it and the wedding bands free from where they'd been hidden beneath her torn Metallica shirt. "These were _our_ rings?"

She nodded wordlessly.

Dean stared at the rings as if seeing them for the first time. "We were married."

"Apparently I ordered you to marry me," she tried for levity but her voice choked and tears returned to her greens. "I was told it was a _hell_ of a story, and that apparently I wasn't even old enough to vote when it happened, but they never got around to telling me more details."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dean's voice was soft.

"My last memory of you was you pulling away, unable to even look at me because I'd kissed you. I figured that if you found out we were married in some other universe things would be even worse between us, and I didn't want that. Plus it was so hard to even _look_ at you because everytime I did I saw you dying and I just couldn't take it." Chloe lowered her gaze. "And then after you kissed me I kept trying over and over to bring the subject up, but you shot me down every time and wouldn't let me tell you, no matter how hard I tried."

"I didn't want to hear you telling me about life married to Wade," he admitted in that same soft voice. "I was so insanely jealous…" Dean palmed his face. "Oh god. If I'd just let you talk—."

"I should've tried harder."

"No. I wouldn't have let you. I was doing my best to erase the memory of—I _detested_ those rings—I—I'm so _stupid_." He pressed his hands harder into his face.

"No, you're not." She pressed soft kisses against those hands until they finally, slowly, slipped from his face and she was pressing kisses to his forehead and cheeks instead.

Resting their foreheads together, they breathed in and out as they held each other's hands. Now that that understanding had been cleared, the situation they found themselves in returned to the forefront, and Chloe couldn't stop the soft sob as her gaze slid to Wade's body.

"He'll have a proper burial," Dean promised Chloe softly.

She closed her eyes tightly as silent tears made their way down her face. "_Thank you_."

"GUYS?" Brady's voice echoed outside. "GUYS? WHERE IS EVERYONE?"

Dean chuckled darkly. "Well I'll be damned. I figured he was a goner for sure." He pressed a kiss to Chloe's forehead and then stood and headed towards the doors to let Brady know where they were.

Chloe cast her glance towards Wade and placed her hand in his cold one, squeezing tightly as tears clouded her vision. "_I'm so sorry_."

* * *

"What happened?" Lois looked up, eyes wide. "What did Bobby say?"

"Sam and his girlfriend popped up in a hospital in Wyoming." John moved towards the front door when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID; his gaze went to Lois, and then he moved off to the side and answered. "Hello?" He listened to the voice on the other end and went pale. "What? Your mother—?" He covered his face. "I'm so sorry." He took in a deep breath. "I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as possible. I'm leaving now." He ended the call and turned to Lois. "Head to Hanna, Wyoming. They're there. Or at least Sam and his girlfriend are. I'll give you Bobby's number so that you can get into contact with him and he'll keep you updated."

"Wait, where are you going?" Lois watched him as he quickly packed his bags.

"I have to fly out to Minnesota." He grabbed his bags and turned to her. "Keep me in the loop."

"How can whatever is in Minnesota be more important than your sons?" Lois couldn't understand it.

A strange expression covered his face before he held out a card with Bobby's number on it, turned and left, no more words uttered.

Lois stared at the door as it slammed shut, and then shook her head as she whipped out her phone and began dialing the numbers there.

* * *

The doctors were still unable to stop Jess' bleeding. They couldn't understand how the wounds were still pouring blood when they'd repaired the damage and stitched up everything. And yet nothing they did was working. They were constantly having to transfuse more blood into Jess to stop her blood less, but Chloe had overheard comments about them getting low on Jess' blood type.

Dean had taken Sam out to force him to get something eat. They'd been in the hospital all night and had had to turn their phones off at the looks they received from the nurses so they'd stopped communicating with everyone, Bobby included. Chloe sat on the chair next to Jess, who was unconscious on the bed. The large bandage of her shoulder was crimson, and it'd only been changed twenty minutes ago. If things didn't change…

Gaze going to Jess' pale face, Chloe looked around before she got up and moved to where Jess' clothes were folded and her bag rested upon. She shuffled through the bag before she found the phone and turned it on. They'd already called Jess' parents to let them know what was going on, but—.

Checking the numbers, she dialed it and went to the bathroom in the private room so that the nurses wouldn't see her on the phone. The phone rang once, twice, and then a flustered voice answered. "Jess? Honey?"

"No, Mrs Moore, I'm Chloe Sullivan, I'm a friend of Jess'."

"Oh…" Jess' mother whispered. "We're trying to book a flight but everything's delayed or booked and—."

"Mrs Moore, I know you're a Gwargedd Annwn." There was no time to sugarcoat this. "I know that that means Jessica is half, and that means she's special. I also know that you wont make it here in time, so if you know any way to help her healing kickstart please tell me." There was silence on the phone. "I understand that its frightening for you that some stranger knows, but please believe me, I love Jessica and I can't—." Her voice choked and tears filled her eyes but she wiped them away. "One of my friends died tonight, Mrs Moore. I can't let another friend die. _Please_. I know you don't know me and that you have no reason to trust me but—."

"_Water_." Mrs Moore's voice cracked. "She needs to be submerged in water."

"Like a baptism?" Chloe wiped at her eyes and then looked down at the tub, turning on the water immediately. "Does her head have to be under or just her wounds?"

"Her wounds should be enough," Mrs Moore assured her. "There's also a chant—you need to—we need another of our kind, Chloe. And there isn't enough time. Even if you submerged her in water the nurses would make you take her out because normal humans' wounds bleed out quicker under water."

"What's the chant?" Chloe hurried out, leaving the tub to fill as she grabbed a lipstick from Jessica's bag and went back to the mirror in the bathroom.

"No mortal can—."

"I'm not mortal. Not _full_ mortal at least."

The woman paused, and when she spoke hope began to make itself known. "What are you?"

"Witch." Or, uh, she _thought_ she was a witch. Who really knew what the Dalakis were?

"This could work." Mrs Moore's voice broke in excitement. "This is the chant. Do you have something to write it on?"

"Yes, start. I'll write it, at least phonetically." She wrote it on the mirror as Mrs Moore said it, and then repeated it back for clarity. "I have to go. I—thank you."

"_Thank you_."

Hanging up, Chloe turned off the water and hurried to Jessica. She was about to just yank the things out of her but then looked towards the doors. If the orderlies stopped her—she only had one chance to do this! Hurrying to the door, Chloe closed and locked it before grabbing the seat she'd been sitting on and using it to further block the door. With that she took in a deep breath and carefully yanked out the tubes attached to Jessica, hearing the flatline of the machines and knowing that she didn't have much time.

Grunting under the weight, the blonde somehow maneuvered her friend out of the bed and into the bathroom tub seconds before the pounding on the door could be heard.

Lowering Jessica into the water, Chloe locked the bathroom door before she looked up at the mirror and repeated the words to herself. She knelt by Jessica's side and placed her hands on the bleeding wound. Making sure every part of Jessica's body was submerged (except for her head) she began to chant the words. Nothing happened but Chloe didn't give up. She continued to repeat the words over and over as the pounding and yelling grew louder and louder.

"It isn't enough for you to just say the words," a voice declared behind her.

A scream escaped her lips as she turned to see Hannah Dalakis.

The woman, her grandmother, came closer, dressed in posh finery and looking like a queen as she gazed down at Jess. "There has to be intent behind every spell." Her fierce eyes shifted onto Chloe. "What's the intent of this spell?"

So focused on her grandmother, Chloe didn't notice that everything around them had gone deadly silent. "Healing. This spell heals."

"_Exactly_." Hannah Dalakis nodded. "Channel that intent through the words."

"How—?"

"You're a Dalakis, you'll figure it out." She flicked a speck off of her suit. "Just take a moment to breathe in and out, ground yourself in your intent, and _then_ you say the words."

"Why are you helping me?" Chloe asked in confusion.

"This is my granddaughter's first conscious spell," Hannah declared. "Maybe I'm curious what someone with your _heritage_ is capable of." She motioned to Jess. "Hurry. You don't have much time." She stepped backwards. "Remember, the words are the _least _important part of any spell."

Nodding, Chloe turned to Jess and took in a deep breath. Then, pressing up on her knees, she pressed her hands against the wound harder and grounded herself in the intent, to heal. Jess was all that mattered. Jess had to get better. She couldn't die. Chloe couldn't lose her. She _wouldn't_ lose her. A sudden calm overcame her and Chloe knew as she began to say the words that everything would be fine. As she chanted the words, she didn't look for signs, she merely concentrated on the intent, on the image of Jessica opening her eyes, cheeks pink, and smiling at her.

It took a couple of minutes of chanting for her to even realize that the water was _boiling_. But she hadn't even felt it. Hadn't felt a shift in the temperature. Her hands glowed and were nearly see through as a light emerged from them. Through the bright light shining through her skin she could somehow _see_ some sort of liquid squirting out of Jessica's wounds. It was transparent but heavy, like gel, and seemed to be sucked out as if by some sort of vacuum. And then, once the last of it was gone, the wounds and tears in Jessica's shoulder _closed up_. And then the light was gone, the boiling stopped, and Chloe was tired as she slowly pulled her hands from her friend's shoulder and cried out in relief.

"You did it."

Chloe sent Hannah a look over her shoulder. "Why do you look so surprised?"

Hannah merely smiled in an odd way and stepped backwards. "Not bad for an untrained halfblood. It took Viktor _ages_ to understand the importance of intent. Madelyn on the other hand? You're very much like she was." And with that, she took another step and smirked. "And for your information, no matter what you might've heard, we're not witches." And then, with a puff of purple, she was gone.

The sound of pounding returned, loud and urgent.

Chloe stared at the place where her grandmother had been seconds ago.

"_Chloe_?"

Green eyes widening, Chloe turned to see Jessica's eyes open, her cheeks rosy, and a smile on her face. "_Jess_!" Her cry was tortured as she reached out and hugged her friend tightly, and the girl held her just as tightly. They were crying into each other's hair when the door was kicked in, and Chloe was yanked away from her. But before she could get into too much trouble, the doctors and orderlies and security were stunned into silence as Jessica pushed them all away and stood on her own, the stitches completely disappeared.

Chloe used their distraction to clean the words off of the mirror, and when everyone turned their shocked gazes on her, she merely smiled at them in total innocence.

* * *

Krista looked up as Hannah entered the room. "What was the outcome?"

The older woman didn't answer for a moment as she sat down and seemed to ponder something.

When Hannah had come to her with this plan Krista hadn't been too sure, but she'd followed the Matriarch's wishes, even _if_ Viktor would rise against her if he knew of her part in it. They'd used Chloe's demon friend to subconsiously feed the barrier and strengthen it with his demonic energy, mixed with, well, the other things they'd done so that neither hell or heaven could pass through.

Finally Hannah looked up, and she looked proud, small lines crinkled at the edges of her eyes. "The spirit was disposed of entirely. No spiritual reside is left of him."

"Good. He was disgusting." Krista made a face at the memory of that soul. Her gaze rose to Hannah. "How did it happen?"

"They did it." Hannah tilted her head to the side. "Together."

Krista sat up, shocked. "He's a witch?"

"Of course not, but just because he's made himself unfit to be the Michael's Sword doesn't mean that what made him so special to begin with is gone." Hannah raised an eyebrow. "I think, with the right... prodding... he would be acceptable despite his unfortunate lack of blood."

Krista cleared her throat. "Viktor won't agree. Blood cleaves to blood and she's already only half. There is no way that Viktor will allow her to be with the unblood." She licked her lips. "And I don't think he will be the only one against the idea."

"Viktor's not the head of this family. _I_ am. No one else is." Hannah's eyes flashed before she took in a deep breath and smiled. "She performed a weaving today."

Krista's eyes widened as she stood. "She can weave?"

"I gave her some tips, of course, but it was _all_ her. She coaxed the chimera essence out of the fish girl with ease, it listened to her, just as the creatures will." Hannah took in a deep breath. "That girl _isn't_ Madelyn."

Krista nodded her agremeent, still a bit in shock that the girl could weave. But pushing that issue aside, Chloe really did look like Madelyn. Other than the fact that the young girl had green eyes, they could almost be-.

"But she's got the same fire and potential. I look into her eyes and I see my daughter." Hannah narrowed her eyes. "Halfblood or not, that girl is my direct descendant, and as such she's the next in line as Matriarch of our clan." Hannah's gaze slid to Krista. "We just need to make sure she outlives this silly game between heaven and hell, and then we take her back."

* * *

Dean knew there was more to the story of Jess' recovery than was being told. Not only had they overheard the doctors saying that Jess only had a couple of hours left to live, but Jess' wounds had _disappeared_, and when Mrs Moore had arrived with her husband they'd both hugged Chloe extremely tightly and whispered words to her before even going to see how their daughter was. They'd known. Chloe was somehow behind this, and when they were alone Dean would get it out of her. He knew he wouldn't have to pry it, her greens had found his when he'd returned with Sam, and those eyes promised to tell him everything later.

"There were no deals, right?" He whispered as he held her tightly in his arms.

"Of course not." She rubbed her cheek against his heartbeat. "I want more than just ten years with you, Dean."

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her head. "We're due a vacation after tonight."

"When would we have time for a vacation?" She wanted to know.

He sighed because that was true. Resting his chin on the crown of her head, Dean let all of his tension just roll out of his body now that she was there, in his arms, and safe. It was amazing how not so long ago he was a lone wolf who refused to have any sort of attachment because it was a "weakness", and yet now look at him. This girl fit perfectly in his arms, as if she'd been made to be there, and he wouldn't have her any other place. He didn't understand how he of all people could've evolved to this point where he needed someone who wasn't his father or Sammy. He'd always put his family first, and yet tonight proved just how much he'd changed. He'd bailed on Sammy, _twice_, for this girl.

At first she'd been nothing but a pitiful kid who'd tugged at his brotherly instincts and heartstrings when he'd first met her - and yet now she _was_ his heart. It sounded so cheesy but it was true. The horror he'd felt when Spencer had revealed that she was Wade's soulmate had stilled him. It'd meant that he'd lost without even truly beginning to fight. Soulmates trumped everything, soulmates belonged to each other and only to each other. At that moment he'd never so tempted to pull the trigger. He had, actually, pulled the trigger, but at the last moment he'd hit Wade's shoulder instead. And Chloe had been right, he hadn't wanted to free Wade, not really. He hadn't wanted to help the guy who'd one day take her away from him.

Now that he knew the truth the guilt ate at him, but he would be able to live with it. He didn't know what that said about him.

"You know what, maybe we _should_ take a couple of days off," Chloe whispered against his chest. "Sam won't want to leave Jess' side for a couple of days at least, and I remember you saying something about renting a cabin."

He grinned and tightened his hold on her, growing hard at the thought of a few days with nothing but Chloe and a cabin. "Yeah, lets do that."

She pressed a kiss to his heart.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the way those little things she did made him feel alive, made him feel complete—made him feel like a human being capable of emotions and happiness.

For the first time he admitted that he was _so happy_ that Lois had jumped ship. If she hadn't he'd never have had what he did right now. He wouldn't be in this position, holding the woman he loved, and knowing that there was nothing and no one who could tear them apart.

"_Chloe._"

Dean tensed the same time Chloe did, and then they drew apart and turned to see Lois Lane standing a couple of feet away from them. She was just as pretty as always but looked pale, as if she hadn't slept well for a while. There were tears in her eyes.

"_Lois?"_ Chloe's voice had him looking down at her to see her teary, wide-eyed expression of disbelief. "What are you—?"

In seconds Lois raced into her cousin's arms and hugged her tightly, crying. "I didn't abandon you, baby cuz, I swear I didn't!" Her voice was sobbed as she held on. "Someone came that night and erased my memory and made me think I was someone else—but I started to remember and—and I came back for you the second I did but you were gone and—I was so worried! I tracked down John who gave me Bobby's number then I call Bobby and he said you're all in this hospital and—you don't even want to know how many laws I broke to get here as fast as I did!"

Chloe's eyes continued to be wide. "You didn't leave?"

"No. I would've never left you, you're my baby cousin and I love you!" Lois sobbed. "I'm so sorry for whatever you've gone through while I was gone!"

Chloe's tears began to fall like a river. "You didn't leave." And then she burst out crying and hugged Lois tightly, as if afraid to let go.

Lois gazed up at Dean through her tears and mouthed the words: _thank you so much_. She then closed her eyes and hugged Chloe as close to her as physically possible.

Dean took a step back and told himself this was a good thing. It _was_.

Lois and Chloe finally pulled away but Lois held her cousin's hand as she turned to Dean and hugged him tightly with her free one. "Thank you for taking care of her when I wasn't here. I can't—I can't believe you'd do—I can never repay you."

"You don't have to—," he began.

"Don't be so modest, Dean." Lois pulled away and smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes and squeezed Chloe's hand tightly. "You've taken care of Chloe, you're practically her big brother now, that makes you family."

_Big brother? _Something dark and terrified began to settle in his stomach.

"You'll always be welcome in our home." Lois didn't seem able to sense his growing horror as she turned to Chloe. "Clark and Pete told me all about what your father did, I can't believe he would do something like that. But don't worry hon, I'm not going anywhere ever again." She took in a deep breath. "Would you like us to spend the night so you can say goodbye to your friends before we leave to go back to Smallville?"

Chloe's eyes widened and her lips parted.

"She's not going anywhere." Dean hadn't meant to sound so harsh, he really hadn't, and the slight threat in his tone surprised no one more than it did him. When both girls turned to look at him he cleared his throat. "Lois, there's things you don't know." His gaze turned to Chloe. "We should tell her."

Chloe's eyes widened and her lips tilted upwards.

Lois narrowed her eyes. "What's going on?"

Dean opened his mouth to tell her about him and Chloe when he suddenly realized that Lois was basically Chloe's guardian now and that the blonde was still very young. If Lois thought he was some horrible pervert who'd taken advantage of Chloe while she'd been emotionally vulnerable—she could take Chloe away and he'd never be able to see her again. The thought alone filled him with horror, and was the only reason why, at the last second, he changed his mind. "She's in danger. We're protecting her."

Chloe's face fell and she lowered her head.

"In danger?" Lois' face darkened. "From _who_?"

Promising himself he'd make Chloe understand, Dean took in a deep breath, turned to Lois, and began to fill her in on everything she'd missed out on while she'd been away.

* * *

**End of Little Miss Muffet**


End file.
